The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be making a change at quarterback even if Mike Tomlin won’t plainly state it yet. Justin Fields has had flashes of greatness, but he’s also struggled with consistency. The Steelers have had a tough time throwing the ball, being 28th in passing yards per game. When asked about stats like that, Tomlin did not seem concerned.
“I’m not worried about a time [where the Steelers will need to pass more] and statistics such as that,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “Stats are often for losers. It’s comfort food when you’re taking [a loss]. I just try to focus my energies on positioning this group to win and doing what’s appropriate to try to put the best collective together this week and win this game.”
To be clear, Tomlin isn’t saying people concerned with statistics are losers. He’s saying those stats are often used to make people and teams feel better after they lose a game. For example, the Steelers are ranked extremely low in passing categories, so if they wanted to, they could use that as an excuse for why they lose games. In reality, there are other factors that go into winning and losing.
The Steelers’ inability to throw the football well is a big part of why they lose. That cannot be stated enough. However, their defense and run game also failed them in their two losses this year. Really, even in their loss to the Indianapolis Colts, their passing game was arguably the best part of their team. That was one of the biggest reasons they were still competitive after falling behind 17-0 early.
There’s also a lot that goes into those poor passing stats. Fields hasn’t been sharp in every game, but the receivers have not done him many favors. George Pickens was on a tear to start the year, but he’s been plagued by timely drops recently. No one else has stepped up in the passing game either.
Winning and losing are about more than just stats sometimes. Part of what makes Tomlin such a great leader is that he doesn’t look for excuses. He accepts the loss, understands the Steelers weren’t the better team, and goes to work on fixing all of their issues. That could be why Russell Wilson is poised to be the starter again. Tomlin is aware of the team’s weaknesses.
At the moment, they’re still doing a good job winning games, so wondering about what-ifs and getting his head lost in the clouds won’t do him any favors. The Steelers are far from a perfect team, and wouldn’t be even if they could pass more efficiently.
