FIRST TAKE | "It was always Russell Wilson's job" - Stephen A. on QB battle in Pittsburgh Steelers

welcome back quick takes these Steelers still have to choose between Justin fields and Russell Wilson as their week one starting quarterback after finishing up the preseason this weekend head coach Mike Tomlin said quote we'll make a decision at the end of the work week Stephen A how are you feeling about the delay in naming their guy I'm not happy about it I mean because all it says to me is that nobody has stood out nobody has stood out you know what you know the old adage if you got two quarterbacks you really got none because that means there's nobody defend now they both after wetting the bed and just stinking up the joint the week before by scoring nothing you know they turned around and each led the team to a a touchdown Drive uh this past weekend against Detroit although they lost the game I'm looking at Justin fields to extend plays with his legs and make things happen more so than Russell Wilson uh but I don't want to hear about you know a decision hasn't been made yet that doesn't make me happy because that says to me we still haven't decided if either is good enough that stands out above the crowd to be the starting quarterback of this team that's my concern right now with the Pittsburgh Steelers and that sounds to me like the same old same I've been dealing with since Ben rothenburger retired with the likes of Kenny picket Mason Rudolph and Mitchell trisi and it might as well be that if you don't know who should start so I'm not happy about it all right Shay you jumping in all right no he's not 10 days with everything you just said cuz normally yeah I think most more times than not Stephen everybody's named a starting quarterback they know by now they've seen enough in otaa they've seen enough in training camp they've seen enough in the preseason that says okay to definitively say this is our starting quarterback and for Mike Tomlin to say we're going to make a decision at the end of the work week after watching these guys in OTAs after watching these guys in training camp and the preseason and we still do not have a definitive and number one quarterback woo good luck with that one Stephen A let me say this as an aside they showed the ESPN bet you know Comm you know promo and stuff like that I just think that the progress that I have made over the last several months I look entirely too good to be settled for that photo I'm on camera all the time you look at me use this photo you use one of the photos from last week see just entirely they be Mak they be posting these old pictures from months ago Shannon this photo let me see it the ESPN thing that they show you know what I'm saying the promo that's what I'm saying I'm like you know could y'all change I love you could you change 10 big questions today and the first one is the obvious big one in Pittsburgh who's going to be the quarterback Russell Wilson played five snaps on Saturday against Detroit led the Steelers first team offense to their first touchdown of the preseason and then they took them right out Justin Fields came in he played three series he also led the team to a score after the game Mike Tomlin gave this timeline on the decision ahead we'll make a decision at the end of our work week this upcoming week uh we got three days of Steelers versus Steelers work and why not do it then it kind of you know minimizes the Steelers versus Steelers work when we start making decisions prior uh to the completion of that we've got ample time to prepare for Atlanta and make whatever decisions or announcements regarding division of labor or pecking orders and so forth and so we'll do it at the end of the work week okay so they're going to do Steeler versus Steeler work and then make a decision at the end of the week chefyy what should we take from that well it'll be the end of the week as he says and I think most people would be surprised if it weren't Russell Wilson I think Mike Talman has been pretty clear from the outset of the off season that Russell Wilson has been to use his words in the poll position and Russell Wilson has played well enough to win that job to keep that job however you want to phrase it and again that doesn't mean that it's going to be a long reach it doesn't mean we're not going to see Justin fields at some point in time but I think it would be a surprise if he went Justin Fields over Russell Wilson to open the season I I would think most people think that that's the move he'll make that that'll be the Steelers opening day starting quarterback Dan Orlowski if you were the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who are you given the ball to I would have started Justin Fields but this was never a quarterback competition we were Bamboozled a little bit I and I have endless amounts of respect for Mike Tomlin there's no way that this is a quarterback competition Russell W missed practice and only played in essentially one game greeny I remember when both of the moves were made being on the show and we said if if this was really going to be an open quarterback competition I expected Justin fields to win that this was never a quarterback competition Russell played in preseason week two he threw the ball twice against the Steelers now Justin Fields has had the ups and downs the waves and whatnot I thought he threw the ball really well versus the Detroit Lions everyone was going to say he took two more sacks neither of them were on him and so I understand the premise of like they're banking on the hopeful more consistency from Russell Wilson but this was never a quarterback competition if it was Russell would have played much more in preseason week three this past weekend I would have started Justin fields and I would have tried to minimize the riding of the wave that's not the case in Pittsburgh D what what do you think no I agree listen I me personally I would have started Justin Fields because he brings something to the table from an athletic uh standpoint that Russell Wilson just doesn't both of these guys are flawed quarterbacks make no mistake about it they're both flawed quarterbacks but at least with Justin Fields I got a game plan something with him quarterback especially in the running game you don't have anything to game plan against with with Russell Wilson he is who he is and he's not in my opinion he's not going to get any better so like Dan said I think this was never a quarterback competition Russell Wilson was always going to be the guy but me personally I would have started I would have started Justin field he feels again he feels re-energized he feels like he's in the right environment he feels like he being Russell Russell with the Run game being what it is with the defense being what it is in Pittsburgh he feels like he's going to get a chance to shine and you'll see the Russell Wilson that we've seen in the past now again we have to see Tom make the decision it's he want to go out and play but he feels like it's the pieces are in place for him to play better than he has I'm trying to I'm trying to make up my own mind what to make of the fact that he continues he being Mike Tomlin in this case continues to push the announcement back if he already knows what he's going to do you know what I what I would say is and this applies to New England Pittsburgh I don't understand why they're announcing it at all well what's the what purpose does that serve again if I'm Gerard Mayo I know you want to announce the decision but why am I telling the Bengals who the quarterback is the media will see it but you say to the media practice that's closed off you can't say what we're doing Personnel was like what advantage is there to say in either case which guy you tell me that's interesting so so let's be clear as far as um transparency is concerned they're o at to report injuries they're not obligated to report who the starting quarterback and people could figure it out they could sense it but again you want every Advantage you could have right and I would think that preparing for Drake May and jacobe Bret are different Russell Wilson and Justin Fields a little bit different and by the way if you're the Falcons and you're getting ready for the Steelers you probably have to prepare for both quarterbacks anyway but what advantage do you gain by saying who it's going to be I'm just what comes out of that it's Danny go ahead yeah I would say this I don't know if there's an advantage that you gain I don't know if there's an advantage uh listen you got to know who your starting quarterback is the Pittsburgh Steelers want to know as you go into the regular season who's the guy that you everybody's got to start to buy into what that decision or who that decision is to your point Chey the the Atlanta Falcons they're going to prepare for both quarterbacks it's not like they're not going to have a very specific plan for if Justin Fields were to come into the game because the designed quarterback run is going to be a much kind of more staple part of their offense so they're not going to get [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] go you [Music] in [Applause] keep our [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] yeah foreign spee spee [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] fore e [Music] my [Applause] [Music] guys [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I [Music] [Music] [Applause] in [Music] [Applause] [Music] back get the now [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] yeah me some