Mike Tomlin has his press conference early in the week before each game, breaking down what happened the previous weekend and focusing on the upcoming one. While we’ll write about the most notable things Tomlin had to say in separate articles, we’ll throw in a couple of smaller nuggets of information in this post. A one-stop shop for the rest of what Coach T. had to say.
For the full press conference visit the Steelers’ YouTube channel.
Before we get into tidbits, here is everything we have written about so far from the press conference:
Injury Update: Tomlin Says Seumalo Has ‘Real Shot’ To Play Sunday, Russell Wilson Making Progress
‘New York Didn’t Like That Call:’ Mike Tomlin Says League Office Disagreed With Minkah Fitzpatrick Penalty
Mike Tomlin Opens Up ‘Potential’ For Justin Fields To Remain Starter When Russell Wilson Is Fully Healthy
‘Yes, I Am:’ Mike Tomlin Says Steelers Are Preparing For ‘Steady’ Justin Fields To Start In Week 5
Russell Wilson’s Participation Should ‘Pick Up Some’ This Week In Practice, Mike Tomlin Says
Steelers Could Open Practice Window For IR-Eligible Players, Tomlin Says
Tomlin: Despite Snap Issues, Steelers Won’t Change Approach
‘Double Thumbs Up’ For Young OL McCormick And Anderson, Says Tomlin
‘Not Gonna Change Our Approach’: Tomlin Says It’s Too Early To Worry About Slow Starts
NO BLINK IN FIELDS
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ second-half comeback ultimately fell short against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, but Mike Tomlin was impressed with Justin Fields’ steady demeanor and the way he handled himself in the fourth quarter.
“On the offensive side of the ball, we were down multiple scores in the fourth quarter, but I didn’t feel any blink. In particular, I didn’t feel any blink in Justin. We’ve talked about his steady demeanor in recent weeks, in terms of the things I’ve grown to know and understand about him, I think it’s really on display in moments like that,” Tomlin said.
Fields lost a bad fumble, but then he recovered and led the Steelers on three straight touchdown drives. It was an impressive performance by Fields to recover, even if it wound up being too little too late for the Steelers. It’s something that could keep him in the good graces of Tomlin and the coaching staff when it comes time to make a decision on who the starter will be for the rest of the season.
There’s been some improvement in Fields’ play each week, and the way he handled himself and played late against the Colts may have been his best showing of the season.
WON’T LET COOKS RUIN DAY
Tomlin spent a lot of time talking about the threat that Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb and TE Jake Ferguson pose in the passing game. But he said that the Steelers need to have an all-encompassing game plan because the Cowboys have other options at wide receiver, like Brandin Cooks, who can hurt you if you focus too much on Ferguson and Lamb.
“They’ve got a lot of eligibles to manage, you get hyper-focused on those two too much, a guy like Brandin Cooks can ruin your day,” Tomlin said. “So we better play a total game in terms of minimizing those guys.”
There’s a case to be made for Lamb as the best receiver in football, and there’s no doubt the Steelers will need to have a plan to minimize his impact. Ferguson is also a talented tight end and someone who can do some damage over the middle of the field, but Cooks still has great speed and is someone who can make plays downfield.
The Steelers need to make sure they play better defense than they did against the Colts in Week 4. They let both Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. have success against them through the air, and they’ll make sure they pay attention to all the weapons in Dallas’ offense.
COMFORTABLE WITH BOSWELL UP TO 60
Tomlin talked about how the situation can impact his decision of whether to attempt a long field goal and said that’s why the team punted on its opening drive against the Colts. Tomlin did say that he feels good about K Chris Boswell making a field goal within 60 yards.
“There’s always some other game circumstances in that decision. [Boswell’s] leg alone is never the singular component of the discussion.” Tomlin said. “Boz’s got a lot of leg man, anything on the 60 I feel good about if you’re just talking about him. The myriad of game circumstances, there’s moving variables that change in any instance.”
The try on the opening drive would’ve been under 60 yards, but Tomlin said he wanted to pin the Colts deep, which makes some sense since they already had a 7-0 lead. Of course, that lead grew to 14-0 after Indianapolis marched the ball down the field, so in hindsight, it would’ve been smart for the Steelers to try the field goal.
But it makes sense to be comfortable with Boswell from that range. He’s one of the most accurate kickers in league history from 50-plus yards and has been a real weapon for the Steelers from long distance. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Boswell knock in a few more long field goals over the rest of the season.
