Mike Tomlin not commenting on hit that put Steelers kicker Chris Boswell in concussion protocol

Mike Tomlin has no interest in rehashing the hit that landed kicker Chris Boswell in concussion protocol.

Boswell was flatted on a fake field goal attempt that went awry late in the first half of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 15-10 victory at Cleveland on Sunday.

Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit to Boswell that didn’t draw a penalty flag. Referee Shawn Hochuli said his crew did not see “any contact that rose to the level of a foul.”

Tomlin was asked about the hit Tuesday at his weekly press conference.

“I’m not getting into that,” he said. “I know Hochuli gave his statement. No color needs to be added from me. It’s in our rear view, and we’re moving on to the next one.”

The Steelers, who have won three games in a row, play the Chicago Bears on Monday night at Heinz Field. Boswell remains in concussion protocol, and the Steelers signed kicker Josh Lambo to the practice squad as insurance.

Of Boswell’s concussion, Tomlin said, “There is nothing that alarms us in terms of the process he’s in, but it is a process.”

The only other injury Tomlin reported was to tight end Eric Ebron’s hamstring. He said Ebron was receiving treatment Tuesday.

Tomlin also had no update on the return of defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who has remained on injured reserve since the start o the season with a knee injury.

“He had a very good week. He’s getting better,” he said. “There’s no negativity in terms of anything to report in terms of his work back to return. It’s not close enough to put any color to it.”

Tomlin also appears to be in no hurry to put right tackle Zach Banner back in the starting lineup. Banner was inactive for the second week in a row since he returned from injured reserve. Chuks Okorafor, who was called for two penalties against the Browns, has started all but one game this season at right tackle.

“He needs to keep doing what he’s doing,” Tomlin said of Banner. “He’s healthy. He’s been given clearance from a health standpoint. He needs to knock the dust or the rust off and prove he’s a viable guy that can help us win a game. That’s done with repetitions in practice and competitive circumstances. We’ll keep doing that and see where the roads lead us this week.”

Too many flags

The Steelers’ 46 penalties rank in the bottom half of the league and are 14 fewer than the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles have committed. Still, Tomlin saw enough yellow Sunday — when the Steelers were penalized eight times for 65 yards — that he felt compelled to address it unsolicited Tuesday.

On offense, the Steelers were called for holding five times, although one was declined and another was wiped out by an offsetting penalty.

“We’ve got some things we need to work on, some things that have been issues for us that continue to be,” Tomlin said. “It’s our job to make known problems disappear. The penalty component of offensive play is slowing down what is really good progress for our guys.”

Okorafor was called for an illegal formation and a hold that was declined. Center Kendrick Green drew a pair of flags for holding, one of which was accepted. Guard Kevin Dotson also was flagged for holding.

“Guys are getting an understanding of what we’re trying to do, what we are asking them to do and their roles in it,” Tomlin said. “They are getting better at executing assignments with great detail, but the penalty component of play is putting us behind the chains and stopping drives. We’ve got to be better there.”

Practice squad patter

The Lambo signing was one of two the Steelers made to their practice squad.

The Steelers also signed defensive tackle Khalil Davis, the twin brother of defensive tackle Carlos Davis, who is on injured reserve. Khalil Davis was a sixth-round pick in 2020 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played two games last year in Tampa Bay and one game this year with Indianapolis. Defensive tackle Chris Slayton was released from the practice squad to make room for Davis.

Lambo has kicked for the then-San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars over his seven-year NFL career. He had made 128 of 147 field-goal tries and is 33 of 44 between 40-49 yards.