Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin and Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn go back a long way, and thus know each other very well. Quinn was a defensive line coach at Williams & Mary when Tomlin played wide receiver there.
It was he who recommended Tomlin for his first coaching job, so Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott isn’t the only other head coaching William & Mary connection. But the long and short of it is Quinn knew exactly what he was going to get from Tomlin’s Steelers. The only problem was his Commanders couldn’t stop it often enough to win.
“Heading into this game, I really thought it was gonna be a hard-fought game”, Quinn said after the Commanders’ 28-27 loss to Tomlin’s 7-2 Steelers. “And it was just like we expected. Bobby Wagner had spoken to the team earlier today about moments and opportunities, and I thought he was absolutely spot on. There were moments and there were opportunities, so this one stings badly”.
The Commanders have been having a charmed season with rookie QB Jayden Daniels, going into the game 7-2. For perspective, in most seasons, seven wins by the end of the year has been good for the Commanders. Steelers fans under Tomlin have never experienced such a low win total, and they certainly won’t this year.
Quinn is in his first season as the Commanders’ head coach and seems to be turning the program around. Having a talent like Daniels at quarterback certainly helps. Mike Tomlin, too, understands the importance of quarterback play. That is why the Steelers turned to Russell Wilson once healthy even though Justin Fields had been successful.
And I have no doubt Quinn knows the Commanders can learn a thing or two from Tomlin’s Steelers. They are literally the epitome of consistency in today’s NFL, the same year in and year out. But he is excited about the culture he is seeing develop, all the same.
“The team is absolutely still all in for one another, and I love that about them, how tough we are”, Quinn said following the loss to Tomlin and the Steelers. “It should sting. These are the ones that, you look back, you learn. I also said we’ve got to turn quickly”.
In particular, Quinn credited the Steelers’ defense for stymying the Commanders’ run game with penetration. He noted Tomlin’s aggressive linebackers forcing negative plays and getting them into unfamiliar positions. And he also noted the Steelers’ uptick in blitzing, attributing that in part to their getting healthier. But no doubt it was also a product of playing a mobile, rookie quarterback. Daniels, for his part, highlighted the Steelers’ defensive line.
“I certainly felt their energy and defensive style coming to life”, Quinn said of the Steelers, Tomlin employing a wider variety of blitz looks. Unfortunately, they will probably be without Alex Highsmith for a while, so that will also limit their options for Baltimore. And John Harbaugh and the Ravens certainly know Tomlin and the Steelers just as well.
