It was another questionable decision from the Pittsburgh Steelers 39-30 loss to the Seattle Seahawks Sunday. Landry Jones’ interception on a pass intended for Alejandro Villanueva on a fake field goal. One of those plays you’ll try your hardest to for forget but the Internet will never, ever let you do so.
To the Seahawks’ credit, they weren’t fooled by the fake and adjusted quickly and correctly to the Steelers’ motion. It isn’t a leap to think the Steelers should’ve called a timeout. But that blame doesn’t fall on Jones. According to Mike Tomlin at his press conference today, only two people really ever have the authority to do so. He and Ben Roethlisberger.
“[Landry’s] job is to execute the play. It’s my job to call a timeout if I deem necessary. We’re not big on timeouts on the field coming from players on the field. That ruling changed a number of years ago where timeouts could be executed from a coach on the sideline.
So that’s an element of the game I like to take out of the hands of the players. I don’t want hem to ever have to worry about game management from that perspective. From rime to time you might see Ben execute a timeout on the field but that’s based on years of continuity between he and I and him understanding some of the elements of that. And having the autonomy of doing that. But largely, you’ll never see another player call a timeout on the field than Ben.”
Tomlin also had no problem with the way the play unfolded itself except for obviously, the result.
“I have no problem with the process in terms of how the pay unfolded and what he intended to do. We didn’t execute it well enough, they did. Give them credit, it was a big play. I absorb the responsibility of taking the calculated risk.”
Jones’ first read on the fake was to hit Heath Miller to the playside. After he was covered, Jones attempted to throw across the field to Villanueva. As Tomlin noted, the Seahawks did a great job defending the play and Jones never had a viable option. You can see it in the GIF below. If you can stomach it.
