Surprising Player Could Help Steelers Fill George Pickens Void

The Pittsburgh Steelers could turn to a surprising name to help their offense.

Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely travel into a hostile road environment in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles without No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens, which could open the door for other players to step in and fill the void on offense.

One potential solution that Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette proposed during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan's Morning Show was for the Steelers to utilize their patented Justin Fields package on third downs.

"If teams are gonna be playing the Steelers man-to-man on third downs, to me, that's the best place to use Justin Fields," Fittipaldo said. "Because if people have their backs turned and you have three or four guys out in coverage, that's where a quarterback can beat you with his legs."

Fields never entered Pittsburgh's Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns despite the fact that Pickens missed that contest as well, but perhaps the game plan will alter a bit versus a different opponent.

Since Russell Wilson's return as the starting quarterback in Week 7, Fields has logged a total of 12 snaps while rushing for 50 yards on six attempts and having his lone pass attempt fall incomplete.

The Steelers have evidently been rather particular in when and how they've deployed the 25-year-old, though they've made it clear that they intend on continuing to feature him in his current role.

Fittipaldo believes that Pittsburgh's matchup with the Eagles provides a perfect opportunity for Fields to make a true impact, though he admitted that there's some nuance to the situation that the team has to sort out.

"The difficult thing is, you've got to catch them at the right time. Do you keep Russ on the field and do you split Russ out wide so they don't know what's coming?" Fittipaldo said. "But I think Justin could very much be in play in this game when you're talking about manufacturing yards on the road. He's a perfect guy to do that in certain downs and distances."

Philadelphia owns one of the best defenses in the league, allowing the fewest yards (284.2) while tying for the second-lowest amount of points (18.0) per game, so going into Lincoln Financial Field and stealing a victory will be no easy task for the Steelers.

If Fields can step up and make a couple of big plays, however, he could help turn the tide in Pittsburgh's favor.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

• Mike Tomlin Addresses J.J. Watt, Steelers Speculation
• Steelers Nearly Landed Eagles CB Darius Slay
• Steelers, Mike Tomlin Relationship Has Never Been Closer
• Steelers Get First George Pickens Injury Report of Week
• Steelers Could Get Much-Needed Salary Cap Boost