PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin vows they will not overlook winless Detroit Sunday afternoon.
“I understand they are an 0-8 football team and has faced a lot of adversity,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “This is the National Football League. There are no FCS games, there are no Group of 5 games, there are no homecomings. Each and every week you are up against paid professionals.”
“Couple that with the fact they are coming off a bye week and there is an element of the unknown associated with that. We are coming off of a short week. It presents some challenges for us that needs to have our attention. Rest assured that will have our attention.”
In his first season with Detroit, QB Jared Goff has thrown for nine more yards than Ben Roethlisberger with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Jamaal Williams is the leading rusher with 312 yards and a pair of TD. D’Andre Swift is just behind with 289 yards and three touchdowns. Tomlin says they use Swift like Alvin Kamara in New Orleans, he is the second leading receiver with 47.
Another dynamic tight end with TJ Hockenson leading the Lions with 48 receptions for 448 yards, a pair of touchdowns and six receptions resulting in splash plays. He’s yardage after catch is 172.
“He is a high volume catch guy,” Tomlin said. “He really is productive in the interior portions of the field. Their play-pass game with him in the middle of the field is dangerous.”
Tomlin says he puts him in the conversation with Darren Waller, Noah Fant and other good tight ends they’ve faced. He said he’s a big component of what they do and they have to work to minimize that.
Wide receiver Kalif Raymond has 26 receptions for 334 yards with six chunk plays and two touchdowns.
Tomlin praised another safety tandem, saying Trace Walker and Will Harris have continuity and are interchangeable. Walker is second with 45 tackles and Harris is next with 37. Walker has a sack, two tackles for loss and four passes defended.
Linebacker Charles Harris is the leading sacker with four and has also forced a fumble.
Detroit has scored the fewest touchdowns in the league, but that’s only three fewer than the Steelers. They are also second-to-last giving up 30.5 points per game, only the Jets are worse. Even with this Tomlin reiterated, they will be ready at 1p on Sunday.
“Regardless of opponent, record, their reputation, we respect everybody in this league,” Tomlin added. “This is the National Football League.”