Russell Wilson served as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup quarterback in Week 6, as Justin Fields led the offense to a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
After the game, Wilson sent out a few messages on social media. One was a common Wilson reaction that we’ve seen in the past.
“Great team win!!! ⚫️🟡” He wrote on Instagram and X, but Wilson also praised two teammates that were impactful in the Week 6 win.
“Action Jackson 🔥🔥🔥,” Wilson said, reposting a Steelers message that credited veteran cornerback Donte Jackson after his interception of Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell.
Later, Wilson also shouted out star edge rusher T.J. Watt, reposting a clip of him recording his second forced fumble of the evening. “BEST in the WORLD. @_TJWatt,” the veteran signal-caller voiced.
On his Instagram story, Wilson also shared images of running back Najee Harris diving into the end zone, kicker Chris Boswell attempting a field goal and Fields celebrating with a teammate. He tagged each Steeler and added fire and bullseye emojis.
Steelers QB Justin Fields Credited With Strong QBR, Average Passer Rating vs. Raiders
Fields didn’t have a great outing in Las Vegas from a passing perspective, but his QBR rating was actually very good on ESPN.
As a reminder, “ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating (Total QBR), which was released in 2011… incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties. Also, since QBR is built from the play level, it accounts for a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”
Fields earned a 74.7 QBR against the Raiders. Per ESPN, a single game QBR of 75 “means that holding all other factors constant (defense, offensive teammates, etc.), a quarterback’s team would be expected to win about 75 percent of time, given that level of QB play.”
A QBR rating near 75 is also “Pro Bowl-level,” according to ESPN.
Having said that, Fields’ passer rating was not as impressive at 75.9. In football, a perfect passer rating is a 158.3. For reference, O’Connell finished with a 79.9 passer rating but only a 47.7 QBR after leading the Raiders to 13 points.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Thought Justin Fields ‘Did a Nice Job’ vs. Raiders
When addressing the media following Week 6, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was complimentary of Fields’ effort.
“I thought [Fields] did a nice job, particularly making some things happen with his legs, managing the circumstances and taking care of the ball,” Tomlin said of his starting quarterback. “Obviously, he took a few hits but he’s a tough guy. I’m glad he’s okay and we’ll keep moving.”
This assessment speaks to the QBR factor. While Fields didn’t throw for a ton of yards — completing 14 of 24 passes for 145 yards — he took care of the football, managed the victory and made plays happen when they needed to be made.
And that’s what he’s done for the majority of the 2024 season. More often than not, Fields has been a winner in Pittsburgh.
It remains to be seen if the Steelers’ offense would have more success with Wilson at the helm, or less due to his lack of mobility. Wilson could finally get an opportunity to start in the coming weeks, assuming Tomlin replaces Fields once the veteran is back to full health.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL and NHL for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, as well as the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. An NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate, his previous bylines include FanDuel's The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller
