Justin Fields to play in playoff game against Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers are limping into the playoffs as losers of four straight games. They’ll be heading to Baltimore for a third matchup of the season with the Ravens. And while Russell Wilson has a well of playoff experience, it may be time to shift gears and go back to Justin Fields for the postseason.

Per Daniel Valente, Russell Wilson ranks 30th out of 31 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback over the last five weeks of the NFL season.

Russell Wilson ranked 30th out of 31 qualified QBs in EPA per drop back over the last five weeks of the season.

The Steelers’ honeymoon with Wilson was nice while it lasted. pic.twitter.com/X8SZo6WqTz

— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) January 6, 2025

Wilson’s play has fallen off a cliff, and is a big reason why the Steelers have struggled to win games down the stretch. And while Justin Fields may not have the deep ball placement that Wilson showcased earlier in the season, it doesn’t look like Wilson has had that consistently either in recent weeks. Plus, the extra element that Fields gives the offense with his legs could be something that puts Pittsburgh over the top in a game that will likely take place in bad weather. And if Fields does show something in what would be the biggest game of his career, the Steelers may have their quarterback for 2025.

“I’m certainly open to utilizing Justin,” head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, via the Steelers’ official website. “He has an awesome skill set. We’ve done some of that in the past. We’ve done less of it in recent weeks. He experienced an injury a couple of weeks back that slowed some of that. But certainly in an effort to win this game. I am open to any combination or combinations of the division of labor in an effort to do so, and so I’m certainly open to that as we develop plans this week.”

Since being benched for Wilson, Fields has played sparingly. He’s attempted one pass, which fell incomplete, and rushed seven times for a total of 58 yards.

Steelers vs. Ravens is the first playoff game to feature one team on a four-game losing streak, and one team on a four-game winning streak. The two rivals split their meetings in the regular season, with Pittsburgh pulling out an 18-16 defensive victory at home in Week 11, and then the Ravens got revenge in the form of a 34-17 beatdown in Week 16.

The Steelers defense will have to be up to the challenge of containing Lamar Jackson and that explosive Ravens offensive attack, but the Steelers offense is also going to have to play much better than it has in the last month.