Audio from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin post game press conference following the 2009, week 2 loss against the Chicago Bears on Sunday September 20th, 2009. Transcript to follow.
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Mike Tomlin Opening Statement
I’d like to tip my hat to Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears. They played a very good football game. They fought until the very end. They didn’t blink, and they found a way to win it. We desired to do some things today, and we were unable to do them. I thought Jay Cutler was very good with the football. He faced some pressure, but he made great decisions. He put the ball in great locations, and the Bears converted third downs. They did enough to win, and we didn’t. We accept responsibility for that, and congratulate them at the same time. We understand that they had a part in the outcome in this football game. We’ll make adjustments and move forward.
Question: On the performance of kicker Jeff Reed
Mike Tomlin: I haven’t talked to Jeff yet about why he missed two kicks. Of course, this is uncharacteristic of him. He just kicked the game winner in overtime last week, and that’s what we’re used to. We aren’t used to what happened with him today.
Question: On the Steelers’ running game
Mike Tomlin: I’m not overly concerned about what is written or said about our running game. We are just trying to play, and play to win. We don’t blink. We’ve got a commitment to doing what it is we do, and doing it how we do it. The end result is the end result. I’m not going to pat myself on the back because we ran for a decent amount of yards today. We lost the football game. I’d rather run for no yards and win.
Question: On the long drives by the Bears
Mike Tomlin: Within that, there are significant plays, some more significant than others – third down plays being one of them. The Bears did a nice job with this, and I have to compliment them. Cutler stood in there and threw some balls, drifted away from some unblocked people and so forth. They did a really nice job and I’d be remiss if I didn’t compliment them on how they performed in those situations.
