In a twist of irony, Justin Fields’ first loss as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback came on a day where he made franchise history.
When the dust settled on the Colts’ 27-24 win over the Steelers, Fields had made history by becoming the first player in franchise history to record 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and two touchdown runs, according to ESPN. All told, Fields threw for 312 yards and a touchdown on 22 of 34 passing. He rushed for 55 yards on 10 carries that included two runs that ended in the Colts’ end zone.
Prior to Fields, Kordell Stewart was the player who came closest to accomplishing that fear. Stewart, the first player in NFL history to throw for 20 touchdowns and run for at least 10 more in the same season, threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 49 yards and two scores in Pittsburgh’s win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos in Week 15 of the 1997 season.
Fields’ record-setting day did not result in a win, but it did showcase what he and the Steelers offense is capable of after yet another slow start. Trailing 17-3 at halftime, Fields and Co. scored touchdowns on three straight drives in the second half.
Unfortunately for Fields and the Steelers, the offense’s outburst wasn’t enough, as the Colts offense (led by Joe Flacco, who replaced Anthony Richardson in the first quarter when Richardson left the game with an injury) did enough in the second half to hold on for the win.
In the end, not enough execution did the Steelers in while negating many of the good things the offense did in the second half. Fumbles by Fields and George Pickens, in particular, loomed large in Pittsburgh’s first loss of the season. The defense also played a big role in the loss. The unit struggled to stop the run and was unable to pressure Flacco for most of the game. It also missed a chance to come up with a momentum-changing turnover when cornerback Joey Porter Jr.’s was unable to corral Flacco’s pass in the end zone during the second quarter.
“I appreciate his fight,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Fields’ performance afterward, “but he and we were a little bit sloppy at times, too sloppy, to comfortably secure victory.”
