Steelers' Mike Tomlin Addresses Justin Fields Fumbles

The Steelers head coach was honest in his evaluation of Justin Fields' debut.

Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) throws a pass against the Houston Texans during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports / Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers played a disappointing first preseason game, dropping the contest 20-12 to the Houston Texans. Inconsistent and sloppy play plagued the Steelers all game and head coach Mike Tomlin was visibly displeased during his post-game press conference.

One of the issues he addressed was the play of his quarterbacks. Justin Fields and Kyle Allen played the game under center, with Fields getting just three series. Fields was solid, completing five of six passes, but that was overlooked by two fumbled snaps between him and Nate Herbig. When Tomlin was asked about Fields' performance, he didn't hold back in giving the positive and negative.

"I thought he did some nice things," he said. "But obviously he was a component of the C-Q (center-quarterback) exchange and from my perspective that's dual responsibility on the center and the quarterback. It negated a lot of good things going on in that first couple of drives."

Both Fields and Herbig took full responsibility for their errors and tried to take the blame off of their teammate. Fields showed some some leadership when addressing the mistakes, saying that he needs to make up the difference and adjust regardless of who is under center.

"I think the snapping part, we've just got to be on the same page," he said. "I will put that on me to just be on the same page and know who's in at center, know how to adjust and what I need to do next in the game."

Luckily for Fields and the Steelers, this is just the beginning. As Tomlin stated, there were several positives to take away from the game and build on. While there were issues and errors that need corrected, there is plenty of reason for optimism moving forward. With Fields having a game under his belt, he and the Steelers can look forward to showing their improvements in their next game against the Buffalo Bills.

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