As has seemingly become the norm, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game Sunday came down to the wire. The Baltimore Ravens had a chance to tie the game up with around a minute left in the fourth quarter, but their two-point conversion attempt failed. However, the Steelers called a timeout right before the Ravens ran their play, and it seemed like Lamar Jackson was trying to execute a jump pass. When asked about seeing that play, Tomlin played a little coy.
“It did kind of look like that, didn’t it?” Tomlin said Monday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel.
It’s clear Tomlin knew he gained an advantage by getting that look at the Ravens’ play. It likely forced the Ravens to alter their game plan at that moment. Rather than attempt a pass, they instead opted to let Jackson try to run the ball into the end zone. The Steelers were well-prepared, though, stopping Jackson’s efforts.
After that timeout was called, it looked like Jackson was frustrated. He knew it would be tough to bring that same look out and not expect the Steelers to be prepared for it. Tomlin got exactly what he wanted.
Tomlin was asked Monday if he thought about the possibility of seeing that jump pass after the timeout.
“You’re damn right I did,” he said.
Like Tomlin has said before, this is why he gets paid the big bucks. That jump pass probably would’ve been tougher to defend than the actual play the Ravens ran. That dual-threat element of Jackson’s game makes him tough to predict. However, the Ravens likely knew Tomlin would have his defense prepared for the jump pass after showing their hand.
That ultimately made all the difference. If the Ravens succeed on that play, the game is tied, and they have all the momentum. Their offense had begun to get into a groove, and the Steelers’ offense hadn’t shown much all day. Overtime would likely not have been fun for the Steelers.
Tomlin did explain his thinking on calling that timeout, and based on the results, it seems like his plan went off without a hitch.
“I really wanted to look at their structure to see what mindset they were in and have an opportunity to maybe talk about it,” he said. “Better ready our guys and maybe eliminate some other concepts that might be less relevant based on what it is that we’re looking at. That was the mindset. Whether or not they repeated their play or changed their play is not up to me.”
The Steelers were ready for Jackson, taking that free glance at their play call and using it to their advantage. In the face of adversity, they did not blink while the Ravens did. Tomlin isn’t always great with his timeouts, but this week, he used that one perfectly. It may not have seemed as important at the time, but looking back, it meant so much. Things like that are the reason why they’re on top of the AFC North.
