Haunted by Lamar Jackson’s Blowout, Mike McCarthy Warns Cowboys Against ‘Dual-Threat’ Justin Fields

Mike McCarthy and his Dallas Cowboys are visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers after 8 years. The last time Prescott was there, Dallas came out with a 35-30 victory. It’s kind of a déjà vu situation because last time Prescott was there, he had Ezekiel Elliott with him, and they both were rookies. It’s the same this time, except Prescott and Elliott have come so far. A lot has changed since then, especially for the Steel City team, who have a dual threat quarterback in Justin Fields now. So, this Pittsburgh visit might not turn out to be a win this time.

Ahead of the game, Mike McCarthy appeared on his self-titled podcast and spoke about the upcoming game against Mike Tomlin’s team. Looks like America’s Team will be more cautious this time because coach McCarthy knows how dangerous Justin Fields can be in the Steelers system. In fact, he couldn’t stop singing his praises.

Mike McCarthy lauds Justin Fields

The Dallas coach thinks the “dual threat” QB is a “very gifted man.” McCarthy’s been watching Fields since his Ohio days and he knows the Steelers quarterback means business. “He actually looks really comfortable in their [Steelers’] new system. He gets through his route progressions pretty quickly. But when he pulls down, he can make plays, you know. Both in a scramble phase as a runner and a thrower,” the Super Bowl winning coach said on The Mike McCarthy Show.

Let’s get into the problems that the Dallas Cowboys have lined up. Firstly, they are playing without their linebacker, Micah Parsons. The Cowboys pass rusher is out because of the ankle injury and this might be an advantage for Justin Fields since he has one less problem to think of. On top of that, Trevon Diggs is listed as questionable due to his ankle injury. But he is expected to suit up against the Steelers. The battle at the Acrisure Stadium will be tough, and Mike McCarthy is right to not ignore Justin Fields.

The Steelers lost the game against the Indianapolis Colts, but Justin Fields showed glimpses of brilliance throughout the game. More than 300 passing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns seems surreal for Fields, who was doing not-so-well with the Bears. The Steelers system really has backed him and supported him throughout this transition. The acting QB1 also scored a TD on his 8-yard pass to Pat Freiermuth towards the end of the game.

Fields’ evolution is unreal, and fast. But the real question is, will the Pittsburgh team bench him for Russell Wilson in Sunday’s game? The veteran quarterback has mostly healed from his calf injury and the Steelers might want someone experienced to handle the Cowboys’ defense. However, regardless of the QB1 battle in the Steelers locker room, Dallas Cowboys have some more things to fix. Things that were apparent after the 28-25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

A detailed look at Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboys’ struggle

The Cowboys have been struggling since the loss to Packers in Janurary. The Packers owned the Dallas team. Sadly, they haven’t recovered. But coming back to the game against the Ravens, Prescott & Co. struggled in the first three quarters, scoring just 6 points. It didn’t look like a team that had the highest paid quarterback and receiver in the league. Their trouble became worse when they demoted their receiver Brandin Cooks to IR.

What’s more problematic is that CeeDee Lamb is also not looking like his usual self. Where is the QB-WR duo that led the league in passing touchdowns last year? Lamb has pocketed 20 receptions and 2 touchdowns in the last four games he played. The Dallas Cowboys need a wide receiver besides CeeDee Lamb, that’s for sure.

Dak Prescott’s team lost against the Ravens despite throwing for 379 yards and 2 TDs. The 28/51 completion ratio just tells us that his passes are not clicking. The Ravens defense seemed elite after they defended 9 passes and got three sacks. Dallas defense, though, didn’t defend passes and they couldn’t sack Lamar Jackson, not even once.

Not to say that Justin Fields is comparable to Lamar Jackson, but he’s really good at using his legs. At this point, Dallas defense might not be competitive enough to tackle this road game. As far as stopping the run is concerned, the Dallas defense allowed the Ravens to get 274 yards and score 3 rushing TDs. Clearly, stopping the run game is Dallas’ weakness. It was in the 4 quarter that desperation struck Prescott and he decided to score three back-to-back touchdowns. But that might not fly this time. With TJ Watt and Cam Heyward in the Steelers defense, Prescott would have to jump a lot of hurdles to gain an upper hand.