Steelers prepare Week 3 plan with QB Justin Fields

PITTSBURGH – For the third straight week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for Justin Fields to start at quarterback on Sunday, while Russell Wilson continues to deal with a lingering calf injury.

“We’re kind of in the same position we were last week with Russ,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “As I sit here today, Russ is not scheduled to fully participate in practice (Wednesday), and so we’re ready in a plan that includes Justin and his readiness.”

Wilson was limited in practice last week and was inactive as he served as the emergency third quarterback in the game-winning drive against the Broncos.

Wilson, who injured his calf on the eve of training camp while pushing a sled during a team conditioning test, has not fully participated in practice or played in the first two games of the regular season since injuring his calf on Sept. 5.

“We’ll be monitoring Russ throughout the week and if his participation reaches a level of participation and quality where we need to consider him, we’ll look at that at that point. When that happens is obviously part of the consideration,” Tomlin said.

“But as I sit here today, he’s not scheduled to be a full participant in practice tomorrow and so we’re preparing for Justin and we’re going to stay in that mindset until something else happens. Hypotheticals are a waste of time right now.”

In Wilson’s place, Fields and the offense helped the Steelers to a 2-0 start on the road, something the team hadn’t accomplished since 1999. While the offense has scored just one touchdown in two games — a pass from Fields to tight end Darnell Washington — Fields has been largely efficient, completing a career-high 69.8 percent of passes. He also hasn’t thrown an interception or lost a fumble.

“It’s been really good,” Tomlin said of Fields’ decision-making, “but I expect it to be good.”

Fields, however, will face his toughest test yet on Sunday against a Los Angeles Chargers team that is allowing just 6.5 points per game, the lowest total in the league in two weeks. The Steelers’ defense is second only to 8.0 points per game.

Tomlin said his relationship with Fields grew during the competition and he learned how Fields leads and handles adversity.

“It just grows in the in-game environment,” Tomlin said of his relationship with Fields. “There was a point in the game. I went to him, I told him to challenge his unit to clean up their play so we could get out of the stadium and finish the game. I asked him to do it in his own voice, in his own words, but those are some of the things you ask of a quarterback.”

But Tomlin put an end to speculation about what Fields’ performance could mean for the starting quarterback position in the long run, stressing that he won’t make a decision on the job until Wilson returns from his calf injury. Wilson was still listed as the starting quarterback on the most recent depth chart released Tuesday, while Fields remained in the No. 2 spot.

“My position on the pecking order and the depth chart hasn’t changed, guys,” Tomlin said. “And it won’t until the other guy gets healthy and we really start thinking about it. Until then, I’m not going to speculate. I don’t know how many ways I can tell you that.”