Why did we not bench Russ at any point?
Reports that I keep seeing say there was immense frustration, Russ didn’t get along with coaches and some players, and even if those reports are fabricated we saw there was terrible on-field performance from him. And now Tomlin keeps talking up Justin and Justin has been nothing but a good sport through everything (EXTREME hats off to him) so it’s weird if he had confidence of the organization to start that he never did again after Russ.
I believe weeks 16 and 17 (Chiefs and Ravens) Fields had an injury. But Russ’s slide started with Ravens 1 in week 11, with only one good game (Bengals 1) and one okay game (Browns 2) after that. Those are also the only games we won at that point - he won 2 of his last 6 (before playoffs) and put up less and less stats regardless of win or loss.
With Fields being healthy in Week 18 against a terrible secondary, and especially when the entire season is on the line in the Wild Card, I just genuinely don’t get why we didn’t bench Russ. Was it hope he’d turn it all on again in the playoffs? Was it just the extreme fear of switching hordes midstream that late even though we already saw Fields in action?
Granted I’m biased as a day 1 Fields supporter and if it were up to me I’d have put Fields in after Thanksgiving but still, I feel so confused by all this.
Reports that I keep seeing say there was immense frustration, Russ didn’t get along with coaches and some players, and even if those reports are fabricated we saw there was terrible on-field performance from him. And now Tomlin keeps talking up Justin and Justin has been nothing but a good sport through everything (EXTREME hats off to him) so it’s weird if he had confidence of the organization to start that he never did again after Russ.
I believe weeks 16 and 17 (Chiefs and Ravens) Fields had an injury. But Russ’s slide started with Ravens 1 in week 11, with only one good game (Bengals 1) and one okay game (Browns 2) after that. Those are also the only games we won at that point - he won 2 of his last 6 (before playoffs) and put up less and less stats regardless of win or loss.
With Fields being healthy in Week 18 against a terrible secondary, and especially when the entire season is on the line in the Wild Card, I just genuinely don’t get why we didn’t bench Russ. Was it hope he’d turn it all on again in the playoffs? Was it just the extreme fear of switching hordes midstream that late even though we already saw Fields in action?
Granted I’m biased as a day 1 Fields supporter and if it were up to me I’d have put Fields in after Thanksgiving but still, I feel so confused by all this.