Something new we’re doing for Steelers Depot. Every Tuesday is a Tomlin Tuesday, his noon press conference outlining what happened the previous weekend and focusing on the upcoming one. While we’ll write about the most notable things Tomlin had to say in separate articles, we’ll throw in a couple of smaller nuggets of information in this post. A one-stop shop for the rest of what Coach T had to say.
It all comes courtesy of the Steelers’ YouTube channel. If you’d like to listen to the presser yourself, do so at the link embedded here.
And if you missed it, here’s what we wrote separately already:
— Steelers DL Cam Heyward To Have Surgery, Mike Tomlin Says
— Trio Of Steelers To Be Limited Early In Week With Injuries
— Joey Porter Jr. Played Seven Snaps Sunday – Mike Tomlin Explains Why
— Tomlin: No Hesitancy From Medical Staff Regarding Kenny Pickett’s Head Hitting Turf — “This Is A Guy
— This Is A Guy That’s Fully Committed:” Mike Tomlin Expects Kenny Pickett To Bounce Back
Steelers Comfortable With Gunner Olszewski, Wide Receiver Depth
With WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring) likely to miss Monday night’s game and potentially beyond, Mike Tomlin said he’s confident in the options to replace him. He noted Allen Robinson II’s already significant role, leading the team in receiving Sunday, and names like Gunner Olszewski, who should get a hat during the time that Johnson misses.
“Feel real comfortable with our in-house people, Gunner and others, in terms of elevating and being ready to carry the load and participate,” Tomlin said.
Pittsburgh has a pair of receivers on the practice squad in WR Dez Fitzpatrick and Simi Fehoko. Both have limited NFL experience but have played on Sundays before. Fitzpatrick impressed on special teams in camp while Fehoko is a height/weight/speed prospect, drafted in the fifth round by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Robinson could be the most immediate beneficiary from Johnson’s absence. As he has all camp, Tomlin praised his veteran mentality, which carries over to the rest of the room.
“He’s a steady presence man. He’s a professional. He’s highly competitive,” Tomlin said. “I think all of those things were evident on tape and I don’t think that surprised any of us. It’s a reasonable expectation that his role might grow due to game circumstances, particularly if you’re down a, a significant contributor like Diontae.”
Robinson had five receptions for 64 yards on eight targets Sunday, though a chunk of his production came well after the outcome was decided.
Chance For CB Desmond King, DL Armon Watts
While Tomlin didn’t confirm that King or Watts will play in Week Two, it’s logical that both men see helmets for the first time. King needed an extra week to get up to speed in the Steelers’ defense and his physicality from his nickel spot matches up well against the Browns’ run-first offense.
With Heyward out, Watts likely goes from inactive to active for the Steelers. Signed over from the Chicago Bears this offseason, Watts was one of seven defensive linemen to make the roster for a position group that normally carries only six. Tomlin said Watts has done enough to stick around.
“There’s a reason he’s been an inactive type, man. He’s continually getting up to snuff with what it is that we do and technically and the nuances and the detail and so forth,” Tomlin said. “And he had a good week last week and we’ll see where the week leads us this week in terms of making decisions about who we use and how we divide the labor up. But certainly he’s under consideration. He’s a veteran guy that’s played some ball. That’s why we kept him on our 53.”
Tomlin Praises Browns’ Corners
The road doesn’t get much easier for Pittsburgh in Week Two. They’ll host the Cleveland Browns, who are coming off a big 24-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They shut down and nearly shut out Joe Burrow and company, holding him to 82 yards passing and no touchdowns. Tomlin said the Browns’ corners were a huge reason for that.
“To be blunt, I thought the corners won the game for them last week,” he said. “Their ability to stand on the line of scrimmage and challenge the Cincinnati Bengals, I thought was really impressive.”
That group was made up of Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson Jr., all high draft picks by the team. Pittsburgh’s receivers will have to find a way to separate and likely do so without their best route runner in Diontae Johnson. As Dave Bryan pointed out, a loss to the Browns would make for the first time since 1952 Pittsburgh lost Week One and Week Two at home.
No Change To Inside Linebacker Shuffle
As expected, Pittsburgh used a rotation of three inside linebackers against the 49ers: Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, and Elandon Roberts. Holcomb played 61 snaps, Alexander 44, and Roberts 20. Though their performances were middling, Tomlin said the rotation isn’t going to change.
“We’ve got three varsity linebackers,” he said. “We’re gonna utilize those guys based on circumstances and matchups, like I’ve said, transparently. And that that posture has not changed.”
