FIRST TAKE | "Justin Fields is CLEARLY Future QB in Pittsburgh" - Stephen A on Steelers beat Falcons

boosted parlay up on ESPN bet for tonight's Jets 49ers game sa taking both quarterbacks to throw for over 250 yards myp and bet parlay hit in the season opener so we'll try to keep that streak rolling yeah making people money tonight time for a quick take Bears get the win in Caleb Williams rookie debut but it was a frustrating game for the number one pick throwing just 93 yards and finishing 14 for 29 Shay I'll start with you what do you think of Caleb's debut it was okay I mean he got great play he got a block punt for a touchdown he got a pick six for a touchdown he wasn't outstanding but he did something that hadn't been done by a number one overall quarterback since David Carr did it back in 2002 and that's when his season opening debut um but there wasn't a whole lot of positive to take from that uh except with the exception that he won 14 to 29 less than 50% less than 100 yards passing but they won the ball game absolutely can I say this can I say this real quick clearly messing around with that mayonnaise Mayon okay you know what I'm saying I mean this kid will love us that how do you throw a pick six like that I mean I don't know what the hell he was thinking it was one of the dumbest plays I've ever seen by a quarterback and I think he's got a lot of talent and a lot of promise but that pick six he ended up throwing I just found myself looking at him like too much may I mean that's that that's know too much damn May yeah was good for the brain would you go far enough about will Le well will L I said will would you go far enough to say it's the dumbest like bone head play you've seen from a quarterback before it's it's it's it's it's up there it's up there I mean you know you you know you but you would say this one is the dumbest B no all right let's go I want to save time for the Steelers Stephen I saw a guy do something that was probably more bonehead than that I ain't going to call his name it was in Detroit though were you sitting in your game ran out of bounds and ran out of bounds it's in Detroit he ran out of bounds is that what that is doesn't it look like he's a gaming chair right now every time I see that chair I'm like is he in a video G car yes that's what it looks like can we get you a new chair go there y'all go no seriously sh we need to get you you have ESP and do that yes ESPN can you please get Shannon a new chair I mean it's distract it's distracting right the shoulders in that big head of his blocks at all you know what I'm saying's you know what I love on show you know you know what's the worst thing we do on the show when we make fun of someone and then we just zoom in on them and it's so awkward Shannon I apologize for us we're like let's all stare at Shannon head TRS take up the whole oh my all right Shannon we're going to work on getting you a new chair you know you could always just go to you always just go to HomeGoods and pick one up all right it was a busy day for Steelers kicker he doesn't know what homeg good says Chris Boswell as the Steelers beat the Falcons 18 to1 with six field goals and no touchdowns Justin Fields got the start as Russell Wilson was ruled out with a cap injury Fields went 17 for 23 for 156 yards here's Fields after his first NFL career win I just came in winning a win and uh I'm glad that we're leaving here with the win so um in terms of who's starting who's not all I want to do is win at the end of the day so um yeah I'm I'm really not even you know going to get into all that does Justin's performance today affect Russell's status as qb1 as the starter and you can come ask me that question on Tuesday all right essay should the Steelers stick with fields in week too no I think they should go with Wilson um Fields is the future we all know this but I want to see what Russell Wilson does in the Steelers uniform I know you got both of them in the offseason or what have you I don't mind if you go back to Fields but I want to see Russell Wilson in a Steelers uniform and let's see what he does especially after this kind of showing from Justin field six field goals I'm not I'm still fan I was happy about it the defense TJ watt that brother oh my God he is so speci probably the best player in the he is so the way that he did sacking Kurt Cousins Kurt Cousins was clearly off Rusty nothing to write home about but give the man a break after getting injured and being out and stuff like that and coming back from that um you know I expected him to be rusty and the steal his defense took advantage of it but Justin Fields what do you he but one SE let me correct one thing though CU I said first career win first career win with the Steelers I want to make that clear he's won games before no problem but 17 to 23 156 yards no touchdown Downs two sacks no turnovers nothing to really write home about fumbled the first snap threw his first pass inaccurately uh didn't work through his progression seemed a bit jittery I didn't like what I saw I wasn't impressed I did like him running the football it was great to see a steal a quarterback that could extend plays with his legs that was nice to see 14 carries 57 yards I was happy about that but I want to see Russell Wilson I want to see a quarterback that's experienced that could throw with some accuracy let me see Fri and picking and these boys utilize let's see what Russell Wilson does in a Steeler uniform before we make the decision that Justin Fields is the way to go we know he's the future but I'm just talking about for this season let's see Russell Wilson I just at least one start let me see what he's got before we make that decision oh so you you want them to go to Russ and then if they lose or he doesn't play well go back to Justin I'm saying to you that Justin Fields is clearly the future I don't know Russ Wilson here you got Russell Wilson here let's see what he's got in a Steelers uniform let's see that's all I'm saying so here's my thing with that I don't know if Justin's the future I I don't I don't think that is a in lock in any way and I have a decent idea what Russ is going to be in Pittsburgh right I mean I think we have 10 years of evidence and empirical data specifically over the last two to tell me what Russell is goingon to be in Pittsburgh I have been on the start Justin Fields train I think that was only stamped again this weekend so a couple things one never made a bad decision with the football managed the game and that's a big thing because that's something we've all wanted him to take a step in is like manage the football game realized that the defense was playing a dominant fashion and made really good decisions with the football consistently Stephen A I would say that he threw the ball really accurately specifically down the field I don't know if he missed a throw down the field mainly to George F I think three or four or four or four some big plays down the field of pickings I think the only gripe that I have is Justin's not capable right now and maybe he'll never be of like the quick passing game the easy efficient passing game and so for them in Pittsburg they're going to have to figure out how they get like this is a great throw that ball leaves his hand from the 32 it goes all the way to 27 across the field gets them a field goal I get it with the six six for six on the field goals I think they stalled a little bit in some high Red Zone opportunities uh I think this is an easy decision I would go with Justin Fields I think the best thing is he didn't rely on his legs he used them when it was needed not when it felt comfortable I don't need to see Russell with all due respect I just don't need to see cuz I don't think Russell is going to do anything sign significantly greater than Justin has and can to elevate the offense Dan had I would have agreed with you had Russell cancel excuse me had Justin field cancel C cashed in some of those Red Zone situations I would have come out here with you today you and I would have be in agreeance Justin Fields needs to start but because he didn't because they settled for six field goals I think this situation is really set up if Russell cannot succeed because when Russell was in Seattle what did they do Dan they played outstanding defense they ran the football and then Russ did some improvisational things well this defense in Pittsburgh led by TJ watt is Sensational they got good guys on the back end that can cover you got hot Smith so they got guys on the defensive side of the football that's going to keep them in every game they can run the football with Warren and Nigi Harris George picking can make plays FR M so they have guys around R Us that they won't become reli on Russ run the football play defense and if Russ can't get it done here no I'm not saying go back to Russ and if he lose a game go back to Justin Fields but I think let's see let's give him let's give him four games let's see how we look after those four games and then we'll have enough definitive proof to say you know what Russ is what he is he's never going to be what he once was in Seattle but I think they brought him in there to give him that opportunity and I think they should now we'll see how it feel we'll see how it turns out that calf is a healed enough that he can play but the more Justin Fields plays and the more comfortable he gets I think it gets harder and harder for Mike tomblin to go to Russ all right so one I was the person who all last season was saying Russell Wilson is playing better football than people are claiming that he did okay I thought he played like top 12 quarterback I don't think he's looked great this preseason in the short amount of time that that I've watched him play and because of the style of offense with Justin like here's my push back to you two what do you think Russell's going to do better or not as bad as Justin like why just because of be his past is that like the experience is that the only thing experience and the experience and the accuracy and the accuracy throwing a football I know the Deep throws the pickings were there but there were a lot of other throws that wasn't necessarily that wasn't necessarily the case I want to see who's the better passer of the football in the Steelers you Russell Wilson's probably a better thrower of the football and a better pass but I don't think go ahead go ahead I don't think it's that like I don't think let find out is all I'm saying but but hold on hold on guys this is what I normally would have said in Shannon I want to ask you this as someone obviously a Hall of Famer been in plenty of locker rooms but normally you would have said okay start with Russell Wilson right the veteran guy and then if things don't work out you move to Justin Fields the injury happens obviously Russell Wilson has been banged up quite a bit through free so so the opportunity changes right because CU cuz what happened so now we're here wouldn't you just ride the hot hand because how about the inconsistency of Justin Russ maybe Justin again for for the entire yeah you you might be right I think the thing what's going to happen here Mike Tom's got to make a decision he's like okay I've seen game footage in a Pittsburgh uniform I've seen Justin Fields do I believe that Russell Wilson exponentially makes us better as a football team and only Mike Tomlin can answer that so that's the question that he's going to have to ask ask himself because he'll evaluate he'll look at like we did win we went on the road defense played unbelievable football so he's going to have to ask himself if we put how much better would we be if I were to put insert Russ into the lineup now here's the problem that you're going to run into if let's just say for the sake of argument Russ doesn't start this week and Justin Fields wins again it gets harder and harder to remove Justin Fields even though he's not putting up great numbers he's not throwing uh stepen a for 50300 it's going to get harder and harder because coaches value wins over stats I'm just saying stay with what's working because of the circumstances of how it played out you never normally would have done this Russ was spe e for for e for for fore foreign spee fore fore spe spee e e for for for spe fore