Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on decision to start Russell Wilson: ‘I’m trying to win a world title here’

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Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin has been the subject of plenty of criticism this week, as it became clear that he was trending toward starting Russell Wilson in Week 7 against the New York Jets over Justin Fields.

It still hasn’t been publicly confirmed by the team or Tomlin himself, but WR George Pickens all but gave away the secret on Friday, referring to Week 7 as Wilson’s “first start” when asked if he’d been putting in extra time with him in practice.

Fox analyst Jay Glazer managed to break Tomlin’s silence on the matter, however, speaking with him on Saturday evening. Tomlin acknowledged that he made the decision on his own,

Glazer summarized Tomlin’s comments:

Look, I went lone ranger on it. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll take the heat. I’ll shoulder the blame, no problem. The reason why I did this is I knew I Iad two quarterbacks go into camp that are very capable, but I wanted to see both of them before I made a long-term decision. Well, I haven’t seen the other one. I want to see, at least, what I have from him, exhaust all options and then make a decision down the stretch. I’m not trying to win games. I’m trying to win a world title here. I’ve gotta see what I’ve got in both.

One of the most telling comments there was his final sentiment: “I’m not trying to win games. I’m trying to win a world title here.” That does seem to indicate that Tomlin isn’t overly confident that Fields is the guy to take them there, even if the general public is scratching their heads at the decision.

Fields has performed admirably in his six starts, going 4-2 with what inarguably a much better offensive product than fans saw last season. He’s made some incredible throws while also producing explosive plays with his legs, but the fact of the matter is that this is a team that still ranks bottom 10 in touchdown drive percentage (17.5%) and yards per play (4.9) while ranking top-six in off-target incompletions thrown (16) per PFF.

The risk with Wilson under center, of course, is the fact that he cannot match Fields’ mobility — especially a risk behind an offensive line riddled with backups.

Watch Glazer’s full recap of his convo with Tomlin here: