There are some cousins Mike Tomlin didn’t know he had looking to score tickets to Sunday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. A primetime, national matchup between two of football’s most iconic franchises is enough to make even the most casual fan perk up their ears. And for your grandpa to remind you when “real football” was played in the 1970s.
Sitting down with Bob Pompeani on his weekly Mike Tomlin Show, Tomlin said he can’t help but feel the impact of what this game means to the NFL world.
“I generally am in the closet on that, but not this week,” Tomlin told Pompeani of the weight of the matchup. “I got too many distant family members who are now all of a sudden calling to check on me or wanting to come to support us this week.
“I’m feeling it now. I’m feeling the power of the brands, but I respect it. I enjoy it.”
It’s only the second time the Steelers and Cowboys have played a primetime matchup, the first coming to open the 1982 season. A game Pittsburgh won, but a memory quickly lost, even that year. Just a week later, players went on a two-month strike that led teams to play only nine games that year.
This game affords Pittsburgh the chance to do something they haven’t gotten to do much of this year: play at home. It’s just the Steelers’ second regular-season game at Acrisure Stadium after holding their opener in Week 3. It’s the first time since 2017 that it took Pittsburgh this long to play their second home game, and they’re back on the road next weekend for a cross-country road trip to Las Vegas.
Though Tomlin feels the matchup, he’s taking it in stride. And he wants his players to feel the same. As he says, you’re either applying or feeling the pressure.
“I want our guys to enjoy it. It’s awesome to be in primetime football versus a good team in Acrisure Stadium. It’s gonna be a heck of a night.”
Tomlin’s teams are normally strong under the night lights. Last year, they went 3-1. They’re looking to keep it rolling this year and take their current 3-1 overall record and turn it into their fourth victory of 2024. Tomlin will need the Acrisure Stadium crowd to cheer his team on. Including those long-lost cousins.
