A week ago, Mike Tomlin was criticized for punting on 4th and 7. This time, he’s on the other side of the criticism for going for it on 4th and 6. Following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Rich Eisen wondered why Tomlin pushed the envelope down one-score late with 15 minutes to play.
“The Steelers down by seven starting the fourth quarter just barely on the plus side of the field,” Eisen said reacting to the game via his YouTube channel. “A fourth and six. And Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. That one, I didn’t get. I didn’t understand that one. I thought they would punt, play defense. Because the defense was holding its own against Lamar.”
Trailing 24-17, Pittsburgh faced 4th and 6 on the Baltimore 45. Having the third-to-fourth quarter break to talk it over, Tomlin made the aggressive move to put his offense on the field. It came with an aggressive play-call. A deep shot to WR Calvin Austin III that fell incomplete, swatted away by S Kyle Hamilton near the goal line.
Given what Russell Wilson had available on the play, Austin was his best option. But Pittsburgh was playing for the home run ball, not the sticks, Tomlin telling reporters post-game that was the look and intent of the call.
Turning it over on downs, RB Derrick Henry immediately busted off a 44-yard run on the first play of the Ravens’ ensuing drive. It accounted for more than one-quarter of his 162-yard performance, the most ever by a Baltimore back against Pittsburgh and fifth-most against a Tomlin-coached team.
Fortunately, the Steelers got the ball right back the next play. FS Minkah Fitzpatrick picked off his first pass in nearly two full calendar years, returning it 25-yards the other way to prevent the Ravens from going up multiple scores. The glory was short-lived. QB Russell Wilson was pick-sixed by CB Marlon Humphrey plays later, effectively icing the game.
Ultimately, Tomlin’s decision didn’t prove as costly as his choice to punt against the Philadelphia Eagles, never getting the ball back over the final 10:30. That hindsight from a week ago likely influenced his decision to be aggressive, hoping to avoid the same mistake twice. But the circumstances were different, a one-score game versus a two-score deficit, with more time on the clock and the Steelers’ defense looking better against the Ravens than Eagles. Come playoffs, Tomlin will have to make better fourth down choices to win a potentially tight game.
