In a better mood, Mike Tomlin preps Steelers for another peculiar week of preparation
Mike Tomlin’s mood had softened significantly in the 16 hours or so since his remarks to media following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ listless win Wednesday evening. So much so, in fact, he even obliged himself to talk about some positives.
And in 2020, a clarification is necessary to note that — thankfully — the “positives” Tomlin spoke of were not the result any nasal-swab or RT-PCR testing.
“Last night, I outlined some points of dissatisfaction with our performance,” Tomlin said during his video conference call Thursday, referring to an ornery recap of the Steelers’ 19-14 victory against an undermanned Baltimore Ravens team the evening prior.
“I didn’t mention some really positive things that I thought occurred in the game.”
And with that, Tomlin did. He gushed about the “run demeanor” of Benny Snell (28 of his 60 rushing yards came over the final two possessions). Tomlin referenced “quality combat-like catches” from the likes of James Washington, Eric Ebron and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The coach complimented the play of center J.C. Hassenauer during his first NFL start, and he expressed appreciation for the early “splash plays” made by his defense.
At last, finally, some praise from the coach of a team that beat its most bitter rival in a thrice-delayed game that capped one of the most bizarre weeks in NFL history to become the 12th team since the 1970 merger to start a season 11-0.
Not that Tomlin’s bright outlook lasted.
A few minutes later, in reference to the emotional effect the season-ending injury to Bud Dupree had on his team, Tomlin said the Steelers were “stinking up the joint.”
Tomlin’s tough-to-please act had purpose.
“I outlined some points of dissatisfaction with our performance because it is a short week,” he said, “and I think the urgency needs to be felt. We have to make some quick adjustments and preparation not only in a schematic standpoint but a utilization of people and the preparing of those people.”
On four days rest, the Steelers on Monday will host a Washington Football Team that will be playing for the first time in 11 days.
“It’s a short one for us, a long one for Washington,” Tomlin said. “We just respect that. We don’t seek comfort. We realize Washington doesn’t care about our problems, or they’re glad we have them. We proceed with that understanding.”
Three wins over its past five games and a tied-for-first place NFC East designation belie the Football Team’s 4-7 record. Washington’s past two games are wins against common opponents of the Steelers: home to Cincinnati and at Dallas. The Football Team won those games by a combined 36 points; the Steelers beat the Cowboys and Bengals on consecutive weeks last month by a combined 31 points.
Tomlin called Washington “a talented bunch” and complimented the work of veteran coaches Ron Rivera (head coach) and Jack Del Rio (defensive coordinator) on the team’s defense that ranks fourth in the NFL in yards against and seventh in scoring.
“They’re fundamentalists in what they do,” Tomlin said. “They’re thoughtful. They’re small-menued and big understanding. They play extremely fast.”
The 5 p.m. Monday start is unprecedented in Steelers history, but its uniqueness pales in comparison to some of the other peculiarities and sequences of events the Steelers have navigated during the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season. Washington is the middle opponent in a span of three games in 12 days.
How are the undefeated Steelers coping so well with all the uncertainty?
“It’s part of our culture here,” Tomlin said. “It’s everything that we do. We continually acknowledge the potential for adversity, not only in the game of football but in this environment. It’s infused in everything that we do.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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