Despite being outgained in each of their first ten games of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were still 6-4 before they outgained their first opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, in Week 11 and moved to 7-4. It’s rather improbable to be outgained in every single game and still come away with a winning record, but the Steelers managed to do it. They’re a team that’s seemingly always found ways to win even when the odds are stacked against them, but cornerback Patrick Peterson said there’s no secret to their success. Peterson, appearing on The GoJo and Golic Show, said that the way head coach Mike Tomlin prepares the Steelers throughout the offseason puts them in positions to win, no matter what the scenario is.
“The secret is there is no secret. Coach just does a great job of putting us in position throughout OTAs, throughout minicamp, training camp, when we’re up there Saint Vincent, Latrobe. So we understand what it takes to win ballgames. Like Coach always talks about, we’re in the business of winning. I don’t care how the win comes, as long as we win the ball game.”
There’s no denying that Tomlin knows how to win games. He can squeeze every last bit out of his teams to get unexpected wins. After all, this is a coach that still managed to go .500 with Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph at quarterback. But the fact is, this Steelers team is also really talented, as complete of a roster as they’ve had in years.
They were held back by poor offensive play, but even then, QB Kenny Pickett and company did just enough in the fourth quarter to help steal a few wins for Pittsburgh. With offensive coordinator Matt Canada fired and Eddie Faulkner the new OC with Mike Sullivan calling plays, there’s hope that the offense can put a full game together and put up points. They did put a full game together against the Bengals, but they only scored 16 points, which isn’t going to be enough going forward, something Faulkner acknowledged.Â
But there’s no doubt that there’s new life breathed into the Steelers with the offensive coordinator change, and this is a team that’s still going to find ways to win under Tomlin. The next step is going to be winning in the playoffs, something that hasn’t been done since 2016. With the talent on this year’s roster, this should really be the year to do it. The Steelers have to get there first, but at 7-4 with a favorable schedule, it seems like they will. The question just becomes how much noise they can make when they get there, and if Tomlin can still find a way to manufacture wins against quality opponents.
Watch the full GoJo and Golic Show below:
