Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin faced significant criticism for his decision to punt in the fourth quarter Sundau in Philadelphia. While they faced a 4th and 7, the Steelers also trailed by 14 points and were not stopping the Eagles. The fact that Philadelphia proceeded to possess the ball for the final 10:29 only added insult to injury. But Tomlin wouldn’t do things differently if he had the chance, or so it sounds like.
“I believe that our defense is capable of getting off the field. And that probably was a component of the decision to punt on 4th and 7”, Tomlin explained Monday, via the Steelers’ website. “I understand how the game was going, but I’ve been working with these guys day in and day out for a long time. Particularly in the weighty moments, I’ve just got confidence in them. That confidence is unwavering, even in face of what transpired yesterday”.
The Steelers do have one of the top defenses in the league, but they are not without holes. More importantly, they were facing one of the best offenses in the league on the road. The Eagles dusted off their passing game because Tomlin chose to focus his energy on stopping RB Saquon Barkley instead.
The result was the Steelers allowing two players to record 100-plus receiving yards for the first time since 2022. It was just the seventh time under Tomlin that a Steelers defense has allowed multiple players to put up such numbers.
Overall, the Steelers allowed Jalen Hurts to go 25-of-32 for 290 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Tomlin’s team did force two fumbles, one of them on special teams, but it netted only three points off those takeaways. The Eagles scored a touchdown off a Najee Harris fumble later in the game.
The Eagles put up over 400 yards of offense for the sixth time this season. It was only the second time the Steelers have allowed that much, the Cowboys previously producing 445 yards. The game also marked the fourth time the Steelers allowed at least 25 points this season.
It’s worth noting that the Steelers were actually 2-1 in their three previous such games allowing at least points. Mike Tomlin’s team beat the Bengals 44-38, and the Commanders 28-27. Prior to their 27-13 loss to the Eagles, they lost to the Colts, 27-24. This marked their first loss of multiple scores in 2024.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Steelers were in a position to tie when Najee Harris fumbled. Or rather, officially, it went down as an aborted snap for Russell Wilson. They were at the Eagles’ 26 with 1st and 10, down 20-13 and driving successfully.
Little did they know they would only see the ball once more, for under four minutes, during the final 20 minutes of the game. Tomlin obviously didn’t anticipate that the Eagles would close out the final 10:29. And that had a lot to do with his usually deserved confidence in the Steelers’ defense. On this day, on that drive, however, they didn’t have it.
