Raiders Defensive Coordinator Comments On Steelers Justin Fields

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has led the team to a 3-2 record this season with Russell Wilson sidelined with an injury.

Fields has performed well for the Steelers so far this season. The young quarterback has thrown for 961 yards and five touchdowns with only one interception while adding another 172 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham commented on Justin Fields’ IQ, running ability, and how a team has to game-plan against a player of his caliber according to Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley.

“You see him at the line of scrimmage, I’m always impressed with young guys when they graduate to the point where at the line of scrimmage, they’re able to get in and out of checks,” Graham said. “He’s doing some of that. He has a big arm and his ability to make plays when people are around him, when he’s throwing the ball, like you’ve got to wrap this guy up.”

“I’m not saying it’s Ben Roethlisberger, like that was a whole tackling plan for him back in the day, but he could get rid of the ball from different angles with people around him. You’ve got to get his arm down. And obviously as a runner, when the play breaks down, he can make some plays, especially in the red area. You see that in the red area, his ability to say, ‘Okay, it’s not there,’ he goes. And we know that as a defense that most quarterbacks, there’s a certain level of them being fearless to run the ball down there in the red, so we’ve got to be ready for that.”

Graham’s sentiment is similar to others around the league, showing how well-respected Fields is. The young signal-caller has grown as a passer since joining the Steelers and has only turned the ball over once. It’s unclear with Wilson’s return what Pittsburgh will do at quarterback, but for now, Fields will helm the offense against the Raiders this Sunday.

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