Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has affirmed over the past few days that he is a believer in the definition of insanity as being doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. The Steelers keep losing, so he’s vowed to do things differently.
Outside of moving on from Mitch Trubisky as the temporary starter at quarterback in place of the injured Kenny Pickett in favor of Mason Rudolph, we are waiting to see what those personnel changes will look like, but he did say they are coming.
Asked about additional personnel changes beyond Rudolph during his weekly press conference yesterday, he did say that “There will be, but those discussions are ongoing”, via the team’s website. “We are very much in the developmental stages of this plan and that component includes division of labor, so some of those discussions are ongoing, and will be”.
He did reference a couple of possibilities, though really only one is a matter of choice, indicating that ILB Myles Jack could have a role this week. A starter on the defense in 2022, he was re-signed to the practice squad in recent weeks but had as of yet not seen any action, having previously retired.
Another name that he mentioned is veteran DB Eric Rowe, who has also been on the practice squad, but this incorporation was of a necessary nature. The Steelers will be without Minkah Fitzpatrick and Keanu Neal this week due to injury, while Damontae Kazee was suspended by the league for the remainder of the season.
In addition to that, Tomlin did not offer absolute assurance that Trenton Thompson, a recent riser in the secondary, would be available after suffering a stinger last week. Of the healthy safeties available, special teams ace Miles Killebrew is the most notable name.
Elijah Riley is a potential option to be activated from the Reserve/Injured List this week, Tomlin indicated, while CBs Patrick Peterson and Darius Rush have some position flexibility. The team also has Henry Black on the practice squad.
What other personnel changes could he be considering? There don’t seem to be a ton of options. If you were to bench, for example, Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, who plays there? Has anybody been practicing there? I can’t foresee them benching James Daniels or Broderick Jones.
Would Tomlin consider any disciplinary-related personnel actions, such as sitting WR George Pickens for a drive or a quarter for loafing? I chuckled when he first referred to Pickens’ issues as a pebble in his shoe, since it’s part of a well-known quotation: “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe”.
The Steelers don’t exactly have many hidden gems lying in wait on the bench. On the whole, their best players are on the field. But more important than that may be getting the best communicators on the field, since they are losing more due to a lack of execution than by pure talent alone.
