The Steelers were “too sloppy” in their first loss. But have they unlocked a version of Justin Fields that will help them win?

Justin Fields engineered the near comeback.

He recovered his own fumble and scored touchdowns on three straight drives, with the Pittsburgh Steelers suffering three turnovers with 2:39 to play.

Could they at least tie the game, if not take the lead, against an Indianapolis Colts squad that lost its starting quarterback?

Fields scrambled 12 yards to kick-start the drive before hitting receiver Van Jefferson for a 9-yard gain. But a cheap second-and-1 would soon become costly. Because after Fields kicked his leg to signal to his center that he was ready to snap, he saw the Colts’ defensive backs turning and wanted one last look at the coverage he would ultimately throw to .

Steelers center Zach Frazier didn’t know this, so he grabbed a ball that hit Fields in the facemask and came loose before Fields rushed to secure it. This wouldn’t be an official turnover for Pittsburgh, but the 22 yards needed to move the chains was too much to overcome.

Two incompletions later and an 11-yard gain with running back Najee Harris late down the field, the Colts had secured a 27-24 victory.

And the Steelers had suffered their first loss of the season, although their 3-1 record was still enough to stay atop the AFC North.

“I was just trying to get the last picture before the snap came,” Fields said. “After kicking my leg, I definitely have to be ready for the ball.”

Fields shrugged: “It’s up to me.”

The Steelers’ offensive day was a tale of two games, with Fields and his teammates holding out for much of the second half but ultimately unable to overcome their defense’s worst performance yet.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t celebrate how his team rallied from repeated 14-point deficits to lose by three points.

It wasn’t enough to almost win the game, Tomlin said, when the Steelers spent so much time losing it. Fields was not immune to this criticism either.

“I appreciate the fight, but I don’t congratulate them for it — that’s the business we’re in,” Tomlin said. “I appreciate his fight. But he and we were a bit sloppy at times. Too sloppy to secure this win comfortably.”

Justin Fields and Co. did it too late when Joe Flacco confused the Steelers

Fields echoed his head coach’s sentiments.

He went into the final drive confident, but knew his team ultimately didn’t lose just because of a botched snap. If anything, the snap reflected why his team lost.

“We knew all day that they wouldn’t stop us; we just stopped ourselves,” Fields said. “It’s kind of crazy that we stopped ourselves on the last ride too.

“We knew we were shooting ourselves in the foot.”

When Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor led an eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter, the Steelers responded with a punt.

When Joe Flacco replaced Richardson on the second drive after suffering a hip injury (postgame reports suggested Richardson might play next week), Flacco found receiver Josh Downs for a 4-yard touchdown two plays after coming off the bench.

The Steelers responded with a turnover on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-1.

Pittsburgh would have better luck than just playing the Colts’ second quarterback (which may or may not be luck, depending on who you ask). The Colts managed only a field goal after their turnover on downs, beat a punt after George Pickens fumbled in the red zone, and later stalled and missed a 54-yard field goal attempt when Fields fumbled fumbled while trying to extend a play.

But the Steelers needed Fields and the offense to hold their own on a day when the defense struggled to break away from a game plan focused on defending Richardson, not Flacco.

The Steelers gave up 24 points after averaging fewer than nine in the first three games. That allowed the Colts to convert on 53.3% of third-down attempts after averaging a league-best 21.9% in the first three weeks.

Tomlin wasn’t comfortable putting more pressure on Flacco if it meant sacrificing help on the back end of a quarterback whom he described as “a much more competent passer than Richardson.”

The idea that a second-string quarterback might be the more competent passer should come as no surprise from Pittsburgh, who will have to make a decision once Russell Wilson has sufficiently recovered from a serious calf injury.

Wilson arrived this offseason with a 334-touchdown resume that includes nine Pro Bowl berths and one Super Bowl victory. His passer rating of 100.0 in that stretch surpassed Fields’ 83.2. The Steelers are now determining how their current scheme and personnel fit each quarterback at different stages of his career.

The Steelers’ loss to the Colts was a reminder of how Fields’ offense has faltered and made mistakes at times, but also how his dual-threat skills can create a rare rhythm.

“I thought the deciding factor in the outcome of the game was obviously the turnover game and the self-inflicted wounds that we suffered,” Tomlin said. “We felt comfortable with our ability to get back into the game. First we had to stop kicking ourselves.”

What does Fields’ near-comeback mean for his future as a Steelers starter?

What does it look like when the Steelers offense stops turning the ball over and finds a rhythm?

Ironically, after scoring three points in its first seven drives, Pittsburgh immediately calmed down after Fields’ fumble in the third quarter.

Fields had 233 of his 367 total yards in the second half, including all three of his touchdowns. The offense seemed to hit a new gear during that stretch, a rhythm the quarterback attributed in part to a schematic decision to pass more on first downs because of the way the Colts defended against the run.

Fields moved the ball well downfield with deep passes to Pickens, scrambled out of the pocket to the left and scored 38 yards on the first touchdown drive as the pair took advantage of Pickens’ outside effect.

His arm began the progression, his legs finished it. Scrambles of 6 and then 5 yards rounded out the Steelers’ first scoring drive.

The next drive was similar: Fields completed passes to three different teammates, including a screen pass that running back Najee Harris completed from behind the line of scrimmage to 32 yards in front of it. Fields also received a penalty for aggravated assault on a passerby.

After missing Pickens deep, Fields scrambled to his left, briefly held the ball away as if to fake a pass, and then scored the touchdown himself.

And on the third drive, Fields passed most effectively, hitting Pickens for 37 yards and Jefferson for 12 yards before finally pulling back and nailing an upfield pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth close enough to the end zone for Freiermuth to muscle up and for could fall behind by a touchdown.

The three-point deficit in the final three minutes was tempting but ultimately unfulfilling.

In his postgame media conference, Fields preached ball security and quicker starts as he described the corrections as a matter of execution, not skill.

“What we did in the second half is what we should have done at the start,” Fields said. “It’s not a secret. It’s not mystical.”

As the Steelers continue to navigate their quarterback depth chart, they will look at a game in which Fields set multiple season highs in productivity and efficiency but the team suffered its first loss.

Fields’ 312 passing yards surpassed his previous best of 245, and his three total touchdowns surpassed his previous best of two. His passer rating of 104.0 was his best by 6.7 points, and Fields avoided an interception for the third time in four games, although he lost a fumble in addition to the blown snap he recovered.

Tomlin did not address Fields’ play in the context of Wilson’s roster position, but limited his comments to Fields to praise for his fight and concern over the “sloppy” turnovers.

For his part, Fields spoke as if he would be back in the starting lineup next week when the Steelers tie the Dallas Cowboys 2-2 on Sunday Night Football.

“I have to get better,” Fields said. “We have to get better overall. I need to come back next week and get back on my feet.