Steelers notes: Mike Tomlin explains decision to receive after winning coin toss

Teams that win the coin toss in the NFL elect to defer possession to the second half more than 90% of the time. For the second time this season, though, on Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers chose to receive to begin a game at the Los Angeles Rams.

In explaining why, coach Mike Tomlin cited concerns about his team playing its first game after an idle week.

“There’s always an element of concern coming off of a bye about running out of the locker room,” Tomlin said during his weekly news conference Tuesday. “I thought we warmed up to it a little bit. That’s why we intentionally took the ball. We didn’t want to give the ball to a guy like (Rams veteran quarterback) Matt Stafford to start the game.”

The math dictates deferring is the smartest move because it opens up the possibility of consecutive offensive possessions — one to end the first half and begin the second half. According to published data, teams deferred 91.9% of the time after winning the toss last season.

The Steelers also chose to receive after winning the coin toss before the Sept. 10 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. The offense went three-and-out to begin that game, as it did Sunday against the Rams.

Practice squad shuffled

The Steelers made a pair of signings with corresponding releases from their practice squad Tuesday.

At tight end, Noah Gindorff was swapped out in favor of Scotty Washington. The Steelers also signed inside linebacker Caleb Johnson to the practice squad and released offensive lineman Obinna Eze.

Johnson (6-foot-2, 227 pounds) played at three colleges but finished last season at the University of Miami. He was a priority signing of the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent but did not make the team and was released off their practice squad last month.

Washington (6-5, 225) was a wide receiver in college at Wake Forest and spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad after signing as an undrafted free agent. Washington spent last season on the New England Patriots practice squad (appearing in one game) but was cut at the end of training camp.

Gindorff and Eze were signed three weeks ago.

Rams release kicker

Two days after missing two field goals and an extra point during a loss to the Steelers, kicker Brett Maher was released by the Rams on Tuesday. Maher, a five-year NFL veteran of three teams, missed field goals of 53 and 51 yards, plus the conversion try after a first-quarter touchdown, against the Steelers.

Maher’s misses cost Los Angeles seven points in a game that the Steelers won, 24-17.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.