For former New England Patriots TE Christian Fauria TE, Mike Tomlin would get on his last nerve. And while he’s come to now appreciate him, Fauria admits he hated hearing what Tomlin had to say after Steelers/Patriots game.
On a Tuesday episode of the Gresh and Fauria show, Fauria recalled his feelings about Tomlin when he played in the NFL.
“Mike Tomlin used to bug me…he’s losing to the Patriots, always coming up with some stupid excuse. Like, whatever.” Fauria said.
As Dave Bryan pointed out yesterday, Tomlin’s track record against the Patriots was far from impressive. Since being hired in 2007, he’s 3-9 against New England, including losing to them in the 2016 AFC Title Game.
Fauria’s comments are a bit strange for the fact he never played for New England while Tomlin coached the Steelers. In fact, Fauria’s final season was 2007, Tomlin’s first year in Pittsburgh, and he spent that as a member of the Carolina Panthers, who didn’t play the Steelers in the regular season that year.
But given his Patriots ties, spending four years with the team, it seems Fauria stayed plugged in whenever the Pats and Steelers saw each other. In 2007, Pittsburgh did play New England, falling 34-13. It was the infamous Anthony Smith “guarantee” game and speaking to reporters afterwards, Tomlin downplayed Smith’s words.
“The comments were irrelevant,” he said via ESPN. “It’s how you play when the game begins.”
In fairness, Fauria now says he’s a big fan of Mike Tomlin, even if he thinks he’s trying to “gaslight” Patriots’ fans by talking up New England, as he did during his Monday press conference.
“You’re tricking them into believing something that isn’t real…as soon as [Tomlin] said concerned, I stared laughing.”
Fauria was referring to Tomlin’s comments on the Patriots’ quarterback situation, a bit of an unpredictable one. This year, New England has played three different players in Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham. Speaking with Bob Pompeani on this week’s Mike Tomlin Show, Tomlin said Cunningham’s running ability and lack of playing time, just six offensive snaps, makes him a threat to the Steelers’ defense.
Of course, Tomlin starts every press conference by talking about the opponent like the ’27 Yankees. It’s a sign of respect and a message to his players that everyone in the NFL has talent and can win on any given Sunday, as the Arizona Cardinals proved during the weekend.
Clearly, the conversation was some podcast fodder as Fauria and Patriots fans count down the days before their miserable season is over. And while Fauria has changed his tune, now supporting Tomlin, it’s interesting to hear his thoughts as a player, especially something negative considering most players around the league hold a high opinion of the man. And if the Steelers lose to the Patriots tonight, fans won’t want to hear anything Tomlin has to say.
