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.
And if you want to hear the full press conference, hop on over to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ YouTube channel by clicking the link here.
Before we get into tidbits, here’s everything we’ve written so far today.
Injury Roundup: Cole Holcomb Still Dealing With Ankle Injury, Anthony McFarland Jr. Monitored
Tomlin: Steelers Didn’t Have ‘Sense Of Tenor’ Of Officiating Crew Against Rams, Leading To Flags
‘He Is Cam Sutton:’ Mike Tomlin On Patrick Peterson’s Role
‘We Just Gotta Do What We’re Doing Better:’ Tomlin Defends Matt Canada’s Opening Script
Dan Moore Impresses Mike Tomlin In First Start Back From Injury
Mike Tomlin Says Declaration Of Identity Is ‘Stupid Endeavor At This Juncture’
Mike Tomlin Shrugs Off Lack Of TE Production: ‘We’re Doing What’s Required To Win Games’
Tomlin Explains Challenge
Mike Tomlin challenged Los Angeles Rams’WR Puka Nacua’s catch along the sideline in the second half of Sunday’s game. A close call but one that ultimately stood and cost Pittsburgh a timeout. Tomlin was asked today the reason why he threw the red flag.
“I didn’t like the pace in which they were rushing the ball and we weren’t getting information quickly enough. It was close enough to run the risk of challenging. At that juncture, I was standing on the sideline, I saw how close it was to the white. I wasn’t sure whether he was in or not. The pace of it and the lack of information, it was just worthy because it was a field-flipping chunk play at that juncture.”
It sounds like Tomlin never got information about what the replay showed on the catch from those up in the coaches’ box who help tell Tomlin whether or not to challenge. So he made the gamble of challenging it based off what he saw, knowing it was close, and hoping it would be overturned. And that at the least, the pace of the Rams’ offense would slow down.
Ultimately, Tomlin lost the challenge and timeout. But it was the Rams’ Sean McVay who needed them the most at the end of the game, unable to challenge QB Kenny Pickett’s 4th-and-1 sneak that closed out the game.
Electing To Receive
Usually when the Steelers win the coin toss, they defer and kick the ball to open up the game. Sunday, they chose to receive. Mike Tomlin explained why he made a decision counter to his normal approach.
“We didn’t want to give the ball to Matt Stafford…to start a game if we were warming up to it. That ended up kind of being a non-issue really, as both teams exchanged punts.”
Coming off the bye, Tomlin had some concern about a slow start and the chance of getting down to the Rams early. As he points out, both teams took awhile to gain traction with the game scoreless after the first quarter. And it took until the final 30 seconds of the half until someone found the end zone when Rams WR Tutu Atwell caught a 31-yard score.
Kenny’s Clutch
Though he’s been asked and answered in similar fashion before, Tomlin was asked about the “clutch” factor of Kenny Pickett rising up in the fourth quarter as he did in Sunday’s win.
“It’s a component of it that’s not new, and that’s his ability to rise up in moments. We value that in the draft process. It was one of the things that made him attractive to us. We’ve talked about it a lot in this setting. I’ve watched him do it when he was a Pitt Panther. And so I don’t know that any of us are surprised by his ability to make the plays that he makes when it really gets thick. I just think some people are built like that.”
Pickett was excellent in the fourth quarter, throwing for 138 yards as the Steelers put up 14 fourth-quarter points for the second straight week. Over the last two games, they’ve scored more points in the final 15 minutes (28) than they have in the first 45 (13).
Etienne and Lawrence
In his preview of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tomlin praised the play and relationship of QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne, two key cogs in their offense as they lead the AFC South with a 5-2 record.
“On the offensive side of the ball, man, it’s about those two guys in the backfield that have kind of been together for a long time. Probably since they were about 18. Talking about Trevor Lawrence, man, and Etienne. They’re a challenging group. Etienne obviously with his explosive run ability, his ability to hit the gas, particularly on a perimeter and get yards in chunks. Trevor, not only his arms, but his legs in the ways that they utilize the talents of both. In the running game, in the passing game, playaction, misdirection, etc.”
Lawrence is having a solid season with eight touchdowns to just three interceptions and a career-high 67.4 completion percentage. Etienne has a league-high 127 carries and already seven rushing touchdowns, more than double the entire Steelers’ output. Pittsburgh chose RB Najee Harris over Etienne in the 2021 NFL Draft as the first running back off the board.
