Halicke: Fields showed he can put Steelers on his back

INDIANAPOLIS -- Justin Fields was far from perfect in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. There were plenty of mistakes to go around, and Fields wasn't void of those miscues.

Two key mistakes put a huge damper of Fields' day, including this horrific sack fumble:

And yet another center-quarterback exchange, only this one coming during an attempt to at least kick a game-tying field goal and force overtime after once trailing 17-0:

But outside of these two mistakes, Fields was pretty darn good.

He finished the day 22 of 34 for 312 yards, one passing touchdown and no interceptions, as well as 10 carries for 55 yards and two rushing touchdowns. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Fields became the first player in franchise history to throw for 300 yards, rush for 50 yards and rush for two touchdowns in one game.

Throwing the football, Fields never looked better. While he wasn't quite as efficient or accurate, he made throws to all areas of the field:

NFL NEXT GEN STATS

When Fields was at his best throwing the ball, he was evading pressure and keeping his eyes downfield. He did it multiple times, including these two beauties to Pat Freiermuth and George Pickens, respectively:

Now, that first one probably should have been reviewed by the replay official (inside two minutes in the first half), but both plays showed what Fields can do outside the pocket. Plus, keeping his eyes downfield while evading pressure is a huge sign of growth for Fields.

And, Fields showcased one deep ball in this games, which was right on the money to Pickens late in the game:

With this performance in the books, Fields is on pace to have his best season as a professional. He's currently completing 70.6% of his throws, is averaging 7.6 yards per attempt and has a 98.0 passer rating. Those all vastly surpass his previous career highs.

What's really impressive about this game for Fields is he showed what he can do when he's not managing a game. When the team fell behind, any idea or notion of being a game manager went out the window. Fields had to put the offense on his back. And, he did so with minimal mistakes.

Granted, the two mistakes he made (previously illustrated) were crippling errors. However, it is a bit of what comes with the territory when dealing with high-risk, high-reward playmakers. In order for them to be a playmaker, you have to take the reins off of them and let them play outside of the structure of the offense sometimes. Oftentimes, you'll see plays like the ones previously shown to Freiermuth or Pickens. But, that comes with the risk of terrible plays, too.

But what's also encouraging about this game is Fields showed an ability to help lead a comeback. Arthur Smith offenses are all about controlling the game through a strong rushing attack and time of possession. When you fall behind by three scores, that's no longer an option. Previously, asking Fields to air it out could have been truly dangerous. But, his day throwing the ball had way more positives than negatives.

Without Fields' play, the Steelers don't climb out of that 17-0 hole and make it 27-24 with a chance to tie the game. Fields helped lead the fight, and Mike Tomlin acknowledged that after the game.

"I appreciate the fight of our group," Tomlin said. "I told them, I just told them that, but not that I'm congratulating them for it. Fight is required in this business, but I am acknowledging it, and it is appreciated."

Now, it's about finishing such a fight. Or, the team not making nearly as many mistakes to put themselves in such a situation.