You’ve probably heard Steelers HC Mike Tomlin say, “The strength of the pack is the pack”. But do you know what he means when he says it? Because it may not be what you think. Of course, the collective is a component of it, but it’s also about the uniqueness of each piece.
That is a theme resonating within the Steelers’ wide receiver room with George Pickens down. Expected to miss at least one more game, if not more, his absence puts the Steelers in a bind. But the rest of the room is ready to step up in his stead, as it did last week. And each of them, to a man, believe in themselves as capable of delivering the necessary plays.
“One thing Coach [Tomlin] says is, ‘You can’t hide in groups’”, WR Calvin Austin III said, via the Steelers’ website. “It is gonna take the pack—we’ve been like that since training camp, sticking together. But it’s gonna take individuals making sure they’re honed in on their assignment, and at the end of the day, just making plays. Because that’s the name of the game, is players making plays”.
When Tomlin invokes the imagery of the pack, it’s not wholly applicable to the associated conjuration. You’re probably thinking about a pack of wolves or hyenas who work in tandem to catch prey. But the Steelers can’t use a group to replace one person. It’s about a group of individuals ready to step up in their particular moment.
Van Jefferson did that last week when he caught a 10-yard touchdown pass. Mike Williams made the necessary play on a late 22-yard grab on third down. The Steelers even justified Russell Wilson’s endless praise of Scotty Miller, who had his moment. And who can forget the professional dirtbag, Ben Skowronek, the janitor of the wide receiver room?
Of course, the strength of the Steelers’ pack of wide receivers will face a stark challenge against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s one thing to be without a Calvin Austin or a Van Jefferson for a stretch. To be without George Pickens within this group is something entirely different.
That’s part of the reason the Steelers searched high and low for another starting wide receiver this offseason. They never quite landed on their ideal target, but they did come away with Mike Williams. While he hasn’t seen many targets, he had managed to contribute when given the opportunity.
It’s fair to say that guys like Williams and Austin manage to pop up within groups. Both of them, as examples, have made key plays in big moments for the Steelers. They have proven to be capable, and that is what Tomlin is talking about when he says the strength of the pack is the pack.
