Quarterback competition around the NFL

Seven weeks into the NFL season and there is some quarterback competition brewing. Let’s dive into a few of the most notable QB scenarios:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Now that Russell Wilson is back and healthy, he has returned to the quarterback conversation for the Steelers.

Honestly, I was a little skeptical when I heard Mike Tomlin wanted to stray away from Justin Fields as he started the season off great.

Aside from bringing the team to a 4-2 record, which could’ve been 5-1 or even 6-0, Fields had been putting up numbers.

Through his first six starts in black and gold, Fields threw for over 1,000 yards which was accompanied by five passing touchdowns.

It should be noted that most of those passes were relatively short. While he has a season-long 55 yards, that stat is a little misleading. That was from a catch and run.

Fields doesn't really take deep shots down the field but they aren't very accurate when he does.

However, he makes it up with his mobility and ability to escape the pocket when needed. On the ground, he has another five touchdowns, nearing 250 rushing yards.

Anyways, back to Wilson.

He started his first game for Pittsburgh relatively slow and botched many easy throws to his receivers, which wasn't received well by fans. Many of them booed him and were chanting for Fields.

As the game progressed, however, his accuracy increased and he started to get hot.

Wilson threw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns, many of which were deep down the field to receiver George Pickens who is great at racking in contested catches.

He is clearly Wilson’s favorite target at the moment.

His deep ball really spreads the field which opens up room for the run game to make chunk plays which is crucial to control the clock (especially late in the game).

The run game kickstarted last week and carried into this week as Najee Harris rushed for over 100 yards in back-to-back games.

After watching the game, I was impressed with Wilson’s performance and understood why Tomlin made that decision. I think they should continue with him down the stretch as long as he builds upon the results of this game.

Cleveland Browns

With Deshaun Watson out for the season after sustaining a non-contact Achilles injury against the Cincinnati Bengals, it is uncertain who will start for the Browns.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR) was the first to enter the game but left shortly after due to a finger injury, which leaves him questionable for next week. He threw for 82 yards and two interceptions while he was under center.

Jameis Winston finished the game with 67 yards and one touchdown.

After that, which one should start? Should it be the former fifth-round pick who doesn't have many stars under his belt or the former No. 1 overall pick, who also won the Heisman?

I have a strong feeling that Winsotn should start as he is the better, more seasoned quarterback of the two.

He isn’t afraid of throwing the ball down the field, unlike DTR.

Thompson-Robinson averaged just 3.4 yards per throw which is nearly half of Winston’s average (6.1). He even struggled last year playing eight games and threw for 440 yards as the Browns starter with a mere 3.9 yards per throw.

It is clear that there’s a problem and Winston has the ability to fix that to bring the team back into playoff consideration (possibly). That is a tall task after digging a 1-6 hole to start the season, but it’s not impossible.

Despite Winston having issues with turning the ball over in the past, I believe he is still the strongest option for the team.

New York Giants

Daniel Jones was benched late in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, bringing in backup Drew Lock.

While Lock only played for less than a quarter and only threw for six yards, should there be considerations to name him the starter, especially at home?

Jones only threw for 99 yards on Sunday and had nothing to show for it, which has been a main storyline over the past few weeks.

At MetLife Stadium, Jones only has one touchdown on the season. On the road, however, he found the end zone five other times.

What makes home-field advantage different?

I’m not really sure about that, but I think the Giants should switch it up and give Lock a try.

They also dug a deep hole, starting the season 2-5 and it’s clear something isn’t working.

While I’m not entirely certain it’s all Jones’ fault, it doesn't hurt to see what Lock can do with the offense because head coach Brian Daboll can always revert the change later on.

Carlin Whalen is a fourth-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email cjw6426@psu.edu.