It’s been less than 12 months since the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts last faced off. It was a close game at halftime with the Colts leading 14-13. But the Steelers fell apart in the second half en route to a 30-13 loss. It was the third straight disappointing loss for a Steelers team that had been 7-4 only three weeks prior.
The Steelers were able to recover and make the playoffs, but those losses stung. So with a chance at revenge (and to go 4-0 to start the season), head coach Mike Tomlin is going to remind the players of the mistakes made last season. And it will not be pleasant.
“Mike T’s gonna be very petty with this and make sure we see this the entire week and keep drilling into our heads,” Steelers DL Cam Heyward said on Thursday’s episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. “But it’s a new game, new team. But if you made a mistake last year, you’re gonna see it this week. And I’m already preparing for that. I’ve already watched it a couple times. It’s already seated in my brain. And so once Mike T gets to it, I’m just gonna be fired up from there.”
It’s definitely a new year for the Colts. QB Anthony Richardson was already out for the season before the Colts and Steelers clashed last December. But the Steelers have plenty of reason to be primed for Sunday’s game. It’s a chance to take down another AFC foe to go 4-0. It would also mean the Steelers would be 3-0 in the AFC, which is huge for the playoffs.
But there is no doubt that Tomlin is going to have every player prepped for this game. Those players who were part of last year’s embarrassment are going to be front and center when it comes to film-room review. And Heyward knows that Tomlin will get everyone to respond just the way he wants.
“He knows how to push everybody’s buttons in the same room,” Heyward said. “There’s about 50 to 60 guys. He knows how to push the buttons of everybody. And, you know, he does it from a click of a button and he knows how to just give some one-liners.”
Tomlin has a well-earned reputation for being a player’s coach. But part of that is knowing how to get players to respond. And Heyward’s seen Tomlin do that countless times.
And for the players who were in Pittsburgh last year for that loss, Sunday’s game against the Colts has extra motivation. Tomlin will be sure to press the buttons needed to have everyone ready.
You can watch the entire episode of Not Just Football with special guest Steelers QB Justin Fields below.
