PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – We've had run game conversations on 93.7 The Fan for weeks, but often the passing game acting like a run or the fact that the Steelers won may have quelled some concerns.
Monday night, there was no doubt about where their run game stands and how it affected their performance.
"I live by a coaching creed that if you can't get a yard, you don't deserve to win," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday.
"That's the nuts and bolts element of football. The physicality aspect of football. We didn't meet that challenge. We have some work to do in that area."
Much of the talk from Tomlin was about not being tough enough, but how much on the offensive line? What about the backs themselves? The play calling?
"I could comb through it with a whole bunch of minutiae but the bottom line, it's popcorn," Tomlin said. "If it was one identifiable thing then you would pluck that one thing out and move on with your day. It's probably a myriad of some of the variables that you mentioned."
The Steelers spent 10 million this offseason to sign fullback Derek Watt. Why did he play four snaps on offense against Washington?
"We are capable of using him," Tomlin said. "We are capable of using a lot of people. I'm less concerned about the personnel groups we choose to employ. I'm more concerned about the results within the personnel groups we choose to employ."
Some of those results could have been impacted by injuries and positive COVID-19 tests.
"We just got to become a more solid group," Tomlin said. "The quality of our performance can't depend on the presence of a Maurkice Pouncey or a James Conner or Vance McDonald, and we've lost fluidity since we've missed some of those guys."
"To be honest with you, that pisses me off because we have to be the type of group that endures regardless of who is available. That's how we construct this group not only in terms of acquisition of players but just the development of mentality and personality. We got some work ahead of us."
Tomlin said he also didn't want to hear about the moving of games causing some of their issues.
"If you are a legit unit," Tomlin said. "If you are a unit that has the goods. You can absorb irregularities in schedule, significant players missing and still rise up in those moments. So that is our charge."
Tomlin also probably uses the phrase "actions speak louder than words". There has been a lot of talk, it's time for the Steelers to show some action.
