PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin responded, even if not specifically, to a couple of the big issues from the game Sunday.
The Steelers quit
Tyler Boyd said it not just once, but twice. He doubled down on his comments that he never seen a Steelers team quit. The Cincinnati receiver and Clairton graduate said the Steelers gave up towards the end of the game Sunday.
“I don’t care about Tyler Boyd’s opinion regarding what transpired at any point in that game,” Tomlin said. “Like I said after the game and it includes him, I tip my cap to that team and that organization for their performance and win. I proceed moving on to the next challenge. We better play better the next time we see him.”
“I care less about what people say that are not involved in us and with us and functioning in who and what we are. He’s entitled to his opinion, but I don’t have to respond to it.”
4th and 10
Fourth and 10 with 3:09 to play in the game. The Steelers down 14 points from the Cincinnati 11-yard line. Ben Roethlisberger ended up throwing a lateral pass to Najee Harris with no blockers out front. The rookie tackled for a one-yard loss with no chance of getting into the end zone or to the one yard line for a first down.
After the game, Tomlin said ‘we had fired all of our bullets at that juncture in terms of some of our play selection. It just wasn’t a good enough play to get in there’.
The Steelers head coach asked if he would expand the menu of plays available going forward.
“It was a snapshot of where we were at that moment,” Tomlin said. “It was not a good day for us. We don’t run away from that. If you want to use that moment to illustrate how poor a day it was, then it’s a good play to do so.”
“I’m not concerned about our options or the size of our menu relative to any in-game circumstances. It was just a poor day for us and that play is reflective of it.”