Pound for pound, the Pittsburgh Steelers might have the best defense in the entire NFL — but they’re rarely talked about in the same light on the offensive side.
Having said that, former NFL head coach and six-time Super Bowl champion HC Bill Belichick doesn’t see the game the same way most people do. And the future Hall of Famer was very complimentary of two aspects of the Steelers offense after their 3-0 start while speaking with the Pat McAfee Show on September 23.
“Look, I think Arthur Smith is one of the best offensive coaches in the league and he’s really done a good job with Coach [Mike] Tomlin of playing to the strength of that team, and that’s why they’re winning,” Belichick said.
The three-time AP Coach of the Year went on to explain that so long as the Steelers offense doesn’t put the Pittsburgh defense in short-field situations, they will be very difficult to score on. And he praised Smith’s awareness in that regard.
“[Smith is] doing a nice job with the way that they’re using [quarterback Justin] Fields, they don’t put the defense in many bad positions, haven’t turned the ball over, competitive in the running game, took advantage of the scoring opportunities and playing good complementary football,” Belichick detailed.
Clearly, he’s a fan of the Smith hire but later in the television spot, the legendary NFL coach doubled down on his praise of the Steelers’ offseason decisions on the offensive side.
Bill Belichick Says Steelers QB ‘Situation’ Might Be Best in NFL
One way or another, Pittsburgh overhauled their quarterback room this spring, ridding themselves of former first rounder Kenny Pickett, initial backup Mitchell Trubisky and third stringer turned starter Mason Rudolph.
Then they brought in not only Wilson, but Fields and Kyle Allen as well, giving themselves three potential QB options with starting experience.
The importance of that depth was not lost on Belichick.
“Well, everybody’s worried about the Pittsburgh quarterback situation. They might have the best one in the league,” Belichick stated unexpectedly on the Pat McAfee Show. “They have an experienced guy [in Russell Wilson] coming in behind Fields if [they] need him [and they are] playing well as a team.”
As you’d expect, the two bold takes — which were shared by the Pat McAfee Show on X — blew up on social media and combined for over 3.7K likes and nearly one million views in three hours.
And Belichick wasn’t the only one talking about the Steelers offense after the big Week 3 win.
Did Justin Fields Secure Steelers’ Starting QB Job in Week 3?
There has been an overwhelming public outcry for Fields to remain as the starting quarterback of the Steelers after the Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Based on his comments, Belichick seems to be on board with that gameplan for the time being, but others were much bolder in their support of Fields heading into Week 4.
“Say it today Mike T!! ‘Justin Fields is our starter going forward. We have found our guy,’” ex-Steelers safety turned analyst Ryan Clark posted on X. “Let’s not play this game anymore. Love Russ, but this isn’t about him. The young man has shown he is capable. What a difference situation makes.”
Former NFL QB Chase Daniel agreed with Clark on the Fox Sports One show, “The Facility,” noting that Fields has “absolutely” done enough to keep the starting job.
Similarly, ESPN television personality Stephen A. Smith has now flip-flopped over to team Fields, and Pat McAfee Steelers insider Mark Kaboly — a staunch defender of Wilson throughout the summer and early season — even admitted that Tomlin could stick with the younger QB after Wilson recovers from his calf injury.
“Whether he is the best person for the job is still debatable, but there is nothing that Fields has done in three games that would even suggest that he will be replaced by Russell Wilson anytime soon,” Kaboly wrote on September 22.
“Make no mistake about it, Fields was the reason why the Steelers improved to 3-0 Sunday with a convincing 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers,” he continued. “If you are going to pinpoint the play of one player being the difference maker, it was Fields.”
It seems the tides are finally shifting toward Fields becoming the full-time starter in Pittsburgh.
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