The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off their bye week and are returning a key player in T.J. Watt to the team for the first time since week one against the Cincinnati Bengals. At 2-6 their season is on life support, but Piitsburgh is entering the part of the schedule that has been viewed as “easier” than the early portions of the season.
Head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media today in his weekly press conference streamed via the team’s YouTube channel and was asked if the week off gives his team a fresh start.
“You know, I view every week as a fresh start” Tomlin answered. “Because your resume means very little. What you’ve done to this point means very little.”
Tomlin has harped on looking forward often this season, and in the case of this team they simply have to. The Steelers have not been good this season, and their 2-6 record reflects that. They have been blown out twice this season, and were a healthy Bengals long snapper away from being 1-7.
However, Tomlin and this Steelers team will refuse to give up, and with nine more games of football remaining they still have time to turn this season around. Mike Tomlin acknowledged this today in his press conference with another reference to looking through the windshield.
“The most significant opportunity is the one that awaits us all. Whether you’re two and six, six and two coming off of a bye week, coming off of a short week. You know, the windshield component is the big picture for us as opposed to the rear view mirror.”
With Watt back in action this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, the Steelers defense has a chance to be dominant again. After Watt’s injury the Steelers struggled creating pressure, and it has been a large reason why teams have been able to have such big games against them. Gaining arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL back will likely be able to prevent those backbreaking plays.
2-6 certainly isn’t a great place to be, especially with the state the Steelers offense is in, but by taking Tomlin’s approach in looking through the windshield, there are certainly opportunities to win football games in the homestretch of the season. In fact, Mike Tomlin was a Ryan Succop field goal away from getting the Steelers to the playoffs in 2013 after starting 2-6. This team does not have the same talent as that 2013 squad, but as they say in football, “any given Sunday.”
