Mark Madden: The Steelers shouldn't need gimmicks; keep Justin Fields on the bench

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ most important game of the season is Sunday at Cincinnati. The Bengals are better than their 4-7 record. The Steelers’ 8-3 mark feels deceptive after their clumsy loss at Cleveland. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow is one of football’s best quarterbacks. There’s a reason the Bengals are favored by 3.

If the Steelers lose, it’s easy to see their season falling apart as their schedule continues to get harder.

Here’s some advice for the Steelers: leave quarterback Justin Fields on the bench.

Forget the package of plays designed for Fields, which got deployed haphazardly and mostly unsuccessfully at Cleveland. Sometimes shockingly so.

I’m not saying to refine Fields’ role, make it more specific or execute his plays better.

I’m saying to nail Fields to the bench until injury to Russell Wilson dictates otherwise. Don’t use him. Eliminate his role.

Some absurdly fancy the Steelers as legit Super Bowl contenders. How often has a Super Bowl winner had a cutesy package for the backup quarterback?

That’s what Fields is: the backup quarterback. QB2. His occasional insertion robs the offense of its rhythm, especially when he’s ineffective.

Fields was a bum during his three seasons in Chicago. He didn’t play much better in his six starts with the Steelers this season, winning four times via conservative, Kenny Pickett-style deployment.

Fields’ best performance was in the Week 4 loss to Indianapolis when he almost rallied the Steelers to a comeback win by passing for 312 yards and rushing for 55 more.

Fields had a 30-yard carry at Cleveland but two other carries for minus-4 yards.

He inexplicably was inserted in the fourth quarter to even more inexplicably throw a deep ball on third-and-4 at the Steelers’ 30. There was 3 minutes, 29 seconds left after that play. The Steelers led 19-18. A fresh set of downs goes a long way toward sealing victory.

Mike Tomlin put a huge, game-deciding play in the hands of a backup quarterback throwing his only pass of the game and in extreme weather.

Wilson was 12 of 13 on third and fourth downs at Cleveland, racking up 203 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 144.4. Wilson was precise despite the snow globe that was Huntington Bank Field.

It was an amazingly stupid decision that was the exclamation point on a coaching effort by Tomlin that came close to losing that game single-handedly.

Fields would be expected to run the ball, then cross up the Browns by passing deep. If he throws a completion, Tomlin looks like a genius. That was the main purpose of inserting Fields, to showcase Tomlin’s expertise. You could almost hear ESPN’s Mike Greenberg gushing.

But the pass went incomplete, so Tomlin looked like a dolt. (Greenberg didn’t say that.)

Tomlin doubled down on the dumbness by defending the decision during his Tuesday media bleatings. He’s not conceited, just convinced. (He’s a bit conceited, too.)

What Tomlin did was incredibly foolish, especially with Wilson sizzling on third and fourth down.

Tomlin took one of the game’s most important snaps away from Wilson. Wilson likely wasn’t happy.

If the Steelers are what they aspire to be, they shouldn’t need gimmicks.

Is this about keeping Fields engaged?

It’s not Little League baseball. He’s not required to play three innings.

Some think it’s beneficial to keep a young talent involved.

But Fields is 25. It’s his fourth year in the NFL. He’s no rookie, though many seemed to turn back Fields’ service clock upon his arrival in Pittsburgh. (His contract is up at season’s end.)

Fields’ level of talent can be questioned at this point, even more so his football IQ.

Anyway, the first priority is to win games. Not placate Fields or showcase perceived coaching intelligence.

The best way to win games is to leave Fields on the bench. Break glass in case of emergency.

I’m not impressed with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, though Tomlin doubtless has manacled him for the sake of no turnovers ever.

But Smith’s level of imagination looks on par with Matt Canada’s, just with more tight ends. The Steelers’ offense has jumped from 25th last season to 18th this season, which is hardly cataclysmic. The Steelers haven’t scored an opening-drive touchdown all season.

Smith is said to be among the favorites for the head coaching position at the University of North Carolina. Let him go. No big loss.