PITTSBURGH — Even before Mike Tomlin announced that Russell Wilson likely would be out again this week against Denver, I had come to the conclusion that the Steelers' best path forward this year was to stick with Justin Fields as their starting quarterback.

I didn't think that would be the case during training camp and advocated that Wilson should be (and is) the best choice, but after watching the Atlanta Falcons game, I now see what Tomlin and company saw when they traded for Fields in the offseason.

Several times in the offseason, I wrote that Wilson should be the starter because he was the best quarterback on the roster. I think he still is, but that isn't the question we should be asking anymore. The question we should be asking is which of the two is the best fit for what the Steelers are trying to do, and now that I have seen what it all looks like in Atlanta, I think the answer is actually Fields.

The Steelers have a particular philosophy, and that is that they want to win — at least while their offense is growing up — with their defense.

They want an efficient offense that grows gradually, improves a little bit at a time and then takes off. They want to focus on building a dominant run game and play a little bit of old-school, power football, even in the passing game.

In the meantime, they have spent a gazillion dollars to make their defense dominant, and as long as their offense didn't make major mistakes, they would have a chance to win every game. The Steelers' defense creates turnovers, changes games with sacks and big stops and puts the Steelers in good position on the field.

I don't think that's how you win big in the NFL, but until the Steelers have another elite quarterback to match scores with the Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allens of the world, they have the best chance to win many regular-season games.

All of that leads me to the conclusion that if the Steelers are indeed going to try to win games in that fashion—and it appears that is how they are built — then Fields is the best quarterback on the roster for the job.

That is especially true because the room for growth with Fields is enormous, whereas Wilson is a lot closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

I also don't want to judge from afar, but I have wondered since the day the Steelers signed Wilson just how motivated he is to play football these days. He has never had a reputation for being the hardest-working player on his teams. He has, in some ways, become a bit aloof about football, and I actually don't blame him if he is happy and comfortable.

It has to be hard to be fully motivated to play football at this stage in his career when you consider he has already won a Super Bowl, he has talked about other interests he has, his wife is a megastar worth millions, and he is getting approximately $40 million from the Broncos to not play for the Broncos. I don't know how many people are in a more comfortable situation than he is, but there can't be many.

That doesn't mean I don't think Wilson could still have a great season because he still has something in the tank and is obviously one of the best quarterbacks of the past 20 years. It is just a matter of fit, potential for growth and skill set that makes Fields a much better fit for what the Steelers are trying to do this season.

Fields is not developed as a passer, and he doesn't throw it as well as Wilson, but his ability to run is a huge asset in this offense. He complements the run game, gives the offensive coaching staff plenty of options to use designed runs for Fields, and he can also scramble for first downs and positive yards when pass plays break down.

His passing has a long way to go, but the Steelers protected him on Sunday and never asked him to make difficult throws. He mostly threw controlled passes to the outside of the field, with the exception of a few well-scheduled throws for bigger chunks down the field. It was almost like they asked him just to manage the game, avoid turnovers, not force anything and not put the defense on a short field by making a key mistake.

It wasn't fun to watch, but it is a start, and now, this Sunday in Denver, they can add a little bit to Fields' arsenal and what they allow him to do. The goal wasn't style points Sunday, an opening-day road game with a rebuilt/remodeled offense; the goal was to win. That was accomplished, mainly because the defense bullied the Falcons' offense and knocked around their aging quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

Now, the Steelers go to Denver, which has a rookie quarterback, Bo Nix, making his second career start. Fields' job will again be to let the defense dictate the day while the offense is efficient and tries to control the clock and grind out yards. As long as the Steelers don't fall behind, they can continue to play that way throughout the game.

The Steelers will also probably add a few wrinkles for Fields, let him take a few more chances, and build on what he can do. Then, next week is the home opener, and the idea is that Fields will get a little better and then better again the next week.

It will make for a lot of boring, sometimes borderline unwatchable, football, but the only thing that matters is that it will give the Steelers a chance to win games. At the same time, the retooled offensive line settles in, the skill players learn the nuances of Arthur Smith's offense and Fields settles in and improves as a passer.

I don't know if this is how it will go, and I am sure there will be setbacks, but I could absolutely see the Steelers growing into a much better offensive team by the end of the season if they stick to this plan. I don't think the ceiling is as high or the potential for growth is as large, not to mention the fit being as good, if Wilson plays as opposed to Fields, which is why I think the Steeler's best bet is to name Fields the starter regardless of whether Wilson is healthy or not.

If Fields fails or it becomes clear he isn't up to the job, the Steelers could always hand the job back to Wilson, but for now, they should stick with what worked in Atlanta and see if they can build on it every week.

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