PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Often Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will discuss shutting out the outside noise. While that is still his belief, he understands why some of his former players are upset with recent play.
Physical players-Ryan Clark, Arthur Moats, Chris Hoke and Bryant McFadden have all criticized the team's physical play, or better said, lack of physical play.
A bit surprisingly, Tomlin didn't blow off the question from 93.7 The Fan's Jim Colony on Tuesday when it was brought to his attention, assuming he hadn't already known.
"They would know," Tomlin said of remarks about the lack of physical play. "They know the things that we value. I don't know specifically what you're talking about.
But guys that have been here, guys that have been in that room, guys that understand the standards that we aspire to, they probably have a better understanding of that than anybody that's not in that room right now."
"I would imagine that whatever it is you're referring to, I agree with them."
Now, 11 games into a season, how can the Steelers fix their lack of hard-hitting play?
"Effort," Tomlin said Tuesday. "That man versus himself battle. We've got to challenge ourselves and we've got to dig down deep and be at our best in an effort to meet those challenges."
"In some instances, it's guys that are in expanded roles and I understand that. But that's life. One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity if he makes it an opportunity. We've been talking openly about that."
Tomlin later asked to clarify exactly what he meant and he said it starts by winning one-on-one battles, which isn't happening enough. He notes they aren't beating blocks, that's a part of it. Then it comes down to finishing the tackle.
According to the Steelers head coach they had honest and productive meetings discussing their issues the day after the game in Cincinnati. Will that and Tomlin's directive of better work in practice make them more physical against Baltimore?
"We'll see on Sunday, won't we?" Tomlin said. "Like I mentioned earlier, it's put up and shut up time. Talking doesn't get it done. I can quell you and that question with an answer, but it's not real. What we do in that stadium on Sunday is what's real, and so we're not seeking comfort."
"We're not trying to quell the masses, if you will. We stunk it up, and so we're gonna wallow in our stench for a while and wait for our next opportunity to
play football."
That comes Sunday against the team's biggest rival of the last two decades, the first meeting this season against the first-place Ravens.
