Mike Tomlin looks forward to huge matchup with the Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin holds his weekly press conferences every Tuesday. Each week, we will take a glimpse at what stood out from coach’s comments about the previous week and heading into the Steelers next game.

Opening Statement

Good afternoon. I’ll start with a quick review of Sunday night’s performance as I always will. Man, it was a tough week on a lot of fronts – most of it well-documented. Having to stay focused and deal with the circumstances surrounding Ryan [Shazier] and his care was tough for the group obviously. Having to come back and in a big divisional game after coming of another divisional game on a short week was difficult. Dealing with the ramifications of some of the guys who weren’t available to us was difficult, whether it was JuJu [Smith-Schuster] on offense or Ryan Shazier and others on defense. Establishing that rhythm in the replacements and getting in roles in terms responsibilities and clarity in the bigger picture were all difficult for us. Thankfully we were able to [get] enough things in all three phases of the game to be successful and win.

We played hard. We made the significant plays at the significant times. Obviously, there is a lot to work on, but it’s great to work on those things when you’re AFC North Champions. We acknowledge that continuing to find our rhythm in the replacement of Ryan is not a one week thing in terms of finding that balance and determining the distribution of the many jobs that he does for us. We will continue with that and we better be better than what we were on Sunday night. That just goes without saying. We can’t be giving up big plays and some of the things we did in that game and expect to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. It’s just not going to happen.

That being said, we are excited to have another week to work at some of those things. We are better because of the experience that happened in that stadium. That will only be revealed in how we play. We understand that. We are excited about the preparation element of it.

Injury Updates

We had a few injuries occur in game. Some availability things are in question because of it – Vance McDonald with a shoulder, Cody Sensabaugh with a shoulder. Those guys will be evaluated and their participation and quality of participation during the week will determine their availability.

We are getting back into the phase of things where we can start having a Joe Haden discussion. He’s working hard and has done some good things. He will be on the practice field in some form of fashion this week. The amount he’s on the practice field will be determined in what he does when he gets out there. Obviously, his availability will be determined when he gets out there and the quality of it. That’s something that bears watching day-to-day. Joe has worked extremely hard.

It was probably one of the most rewarding images I saw in that locker room Sunday night after the game – Joe Haden in his AFC North Champion hat and t-shirt. He was excited about it and rightfully so. Hopefully we will get him back in the land of the competing so that he can be back in the fold with us. Only if he’s ready and it’s appropriate.

How much have Artie Burns and Sean Davis developed since the AFC Championship game last year?

I don’t have the answer to that. They are still writing that story. They have had great games. They have had not so great games. Maybe some of that up and down is an association with being younger people, but marginally if you look at the trajection of their careers, I think it’s heading in the right direction. I know they need to play well this weekend – that’s my focus.

What kind of boost would getting Joe Haden back provide?

I don’t know that. He hasn’t played in a number if weeks. He hadn’t been with us a long period of time even prior that, so I don’t know what getting back on the horse is going to look like. I don’t know what his availability is going to look like. This is the first time I’ve come off of an injury with Joe. We are going to do what’s appropriate to the level of his health and competence, but also the competitive aspect of it. Our goal is to win the game, and if Joe is able to be a part of that, then obviously we will be excited about it.

What JuJu Smith-Schuster and Martavis Bryant provide in their first career games against New England:

I think that will be revealed to us as the game unfolds. We have no bearing on how they cover 10 or JuJu, or what that does and how it effects the coverage of others. That will be revealed to us. I know that having quality playmakers in a variety of positions help you versus a group that is capable of dominating situational football. I would imagine that there will be a lot of attention paid to Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell for example on third downs and in the red zone. So, to have [JuJu and Martavis] and having them be capable play makers obviously aids us.

How did not having a deep threat like Martavis Bryant affect you last year against New England?

We had deep threats last year, they just weren’t name Martavis. Sammie Coates was the name of one. Darrius Heyward-Bey was the name of another. They were guys who we could throw the ball to deep down the field in game.

How do you prepare for Tom Brady’s pre-snap adjustments?

I’m not worried about that end of it. I am more concerned about what it is that we do. Under the framework of what I said earlier, they are really good, they have really good continuity, Tom Brady is Tom Brady. You can talk all day about that. What are we going to do at the line of scrimmage prior to the ball being snapped? What are we going to do to improve our readiness and overall detail of play? I think therein lies the discussion. You can waste a lot of man-hours with not a lot accomplished trying to worry about what he does prior to the snap or appreciating what he does prior to the snap.

How much of the tape will you look at from the New England and Miami game to see what Miami did successfully?

I’ll look at it but I won’t weigh it any differently than the others. This is a group that’s capable like I said earlier of changing their personality and thoughtfully so. Last night’s game was good for Miami. They were able to put together a winning formula for the variables that they had versus the variable that New England had. New England was without Gronk [Rob Gronkowski] so it’s a different ball game when you are talking about one of the most dynamic players of this generation. Forget tight ends, but this generation. It’s something to look at but nothing to hang your hat on in terms of building a plan.

Tight ends being available during the Baltimore game

It was for multiple reasons. First and foremost, the volume of throws. We threw the ball a lot so it’s going to be more balls to be distributed among people. But also, we’re committed to taking what the defense gives us and obviously Antonio [Brown] is playing at a high level. We had some other weapons that you mentioned like Martavis [Bryant] and that provided a middle of the field in which some of the other guys had an opportunity to work. Not only Vance [McDonald] and Jesse [James] but guys like Eli [Rogers] thought had a few significant plays in the interior portion of the field and I just think that is important.

Artie Burns and Sean Davis receiving personal fouls during the game, do you need to revisit with them?

I probably need to revisit with myself, too. Some of the instances had me in a state as well. Such is life. These are high-stake moments. Big time football games. This is where you want to be so those are good issues to have.

Would you rather have one guy to fill in the position of Ryan Shazier rather that three guys in rotation? Sean Spence, Arthur Moats, and L.J. Fort.

I would love to see one guy but identify that guy. Shay [Ryan Shazier] is a special guy with a lot of talent. Not only physically but mentally and from a leadership standpoint communication. Just not a realistic discussion to talk about one guy replacing him. Just like it is not a realistic discussion talking about one guy replacing any of our significant components. If we were playing without Le’Veon Bell and we’ve played without Le’Veon Bell in the past. It’s multiple guys for example.

What is the challenge of three to one just beyond talent?

There really isn’t. Not anything that substantial other than one. All of these guys have been here largely and have a background with us and understand how we are built and how their roles fit into big picture things. So, I don’t know that there is any significant difference in terms of working with multiple guys. None of the guys are new. Even [Sean] Spence isn’t new to us.

Did the defensive calls go smoothly?

Not as smoothly as you’d like but that’s probably a reasonable expectation. We were without our defensive quarterback so it is also reasonable to expect them to smooth out as we continue.

Does James Harrison fit into the middle linebacker description?

That is what you want. That might not be what I want.

How do you think those three played and is there room for growth? [Sean Spence, Arthur Moats, and L.J. Fort].

All three had their moments positively and negatively. We’re going to assess those moments and work to accentuate the positives individually and collectively and minimize the negative. It might be a re-distribution of snaps. It might be a re-defining of roles in that division of labor and not only this week but in the upcoming weeks. It’s just how it goes. We were going through a similar division of labor discussion at the beginning of year when we were trying to find a rhythm between JuJu [Smith-Schuster], Martavis [Bryant], and Eli [Rogers]. It happens from time to time and none of it happens probably as quickly as you would like but the more you play and particularly if you open to letting it reveal itself to you it will.

Is Tyler Matakevich in the picture this week?

I don’t know that. I saw him downstairs getting some treatment. I forgot to ask about him. I’ll provide an update on him as soon as I get one.

Is there anything that the Miami Dolphins have done to the Patriots that other teams haven’t?

I think that is always something to do when you are talking about people that know them. Anytime you are playing them, you better study AFC East people because I’d imagine they spend of a lot of time thinking and preparing for them and it should be revealed in their play. In the schematics in their play but that is not anything extraordinary. I’d imagine they’d be looking at our Baltimore games and our Cincinnati games because of the frequency in which we play them and the level of understanding that Baltimore and Cincinnati has regarding us.

So, that’s just something that you do when you’re playing people in the NFL outside of your division. You look at how people that know them play them. So, if it’s anything from last night’s game in that regard it would be because of those reasons. Not because of the result of the game.

What’s been the catalyst of Ben [Roethlisberger] play over the last month?

He’s finding his rhythm over the course of this thing. We had a lot of discussions in here over the course of the year. You guys asked me what’s wrong with third down and things of that nature. I told you nothing was wrong with third down. We were inching our roles. We were on the roles a lot. Remember at one point I told you we were at six visiting stadiums out of nine games and you guys looked at me like I was lying. As the playing field gets leveled as you look at it as a large body of work, what you are is revealed. If anything, keep watching.

Re: The strategy of using Cameron Sutton and Coty Sensabaugh:

We’ll see. Some of it obviously has to do with Coty’s [Sensabaugh] available with his shoulder. I like the efforts of both guys much like some of the other discussions. It’s a multiple person job the replacement of Joe Haden, it has been. It probably will continue until he gets back.

Does your offense fit the same description of New England’s?

I’ll leave that to you guys. I have said and said repeatedly not only over the course of this year but multiple years, we have to have a desire to have balance and that balance is not necessarily reflected in 50/50 run and pass. It’s the ability to attack people in a variety of ways. To dictate to people as opposed to people dictate to us so if that fits what you describe so be it.

Artie Burns says he wants to play more man. Do you think you are capable of doing that? And do you have to practice and play it a lot in order to be good at it?

The answer to your question is yes, to both. I feel like we are in a better position to do so and we have practiced it more globally speaking over the course of a 12-month calendar. We will see what it looks like.

Have you played it more this season?

We have.

What is an example of Ryan Shazier strengthening you guys?

Just his spirit. I go see him and he wants to talk about the game plan. He wants to know how the guys are doing. He wants to talk specifically about what is transpiring in practice settings and so forth. That’s Ryan.

How did he take the news that he was placed of IR?

I am going to let our statement speak for us in regard to that. Regarding his medical status and things of that nature, or moves relative to it, I just think the cleanest way to continue to address this matter is to do so in a very formal matter that way no words are misunderstood or nothing is misleading in terms of our description of where he is. I will talk about his spirit, his mood, and the things that he is doing for us and the things we are doing with him but some of that minutia, some of those detailed things, some of those expert things, I am going to be thoughtful about staying away from.

What is the cause of Ben’s numbers over the last few games?

I did know that answer I just came over in here a few minutes ago. It’s just your personality gets revealed over time. We weren’t in a panic when those numbers what were you said they were, it’s just football. You continually get revealed the more the ball gets snapped and that’s just the reality of it. That’s why we fight our tails off to be one of the team that stays on the road as it gets increasingly narrow. To be a team that is a team on the rise this time of year opposed to a team that is not because such is life in this thing.

How did the Patriots defense become better?

I think they’re better equipped to answer that than myself but I’d imagine when you have new components, division of labor, understanding the roles. They had new significant guys. Guys like [Stephon] Gilmore. That’s big, just finding that traction and so forth but they’re better equipped to answer that than I am.

Re: Martavis Bryant on returning kicks:

We’ll keep working. You guys wondered why you hadn’t seen him before recent weeks, now you know. We’ll keep working. It’s been a nice shot in our arm. It has provided something for other people to defend. It has been a way of getting him the ball a little bit more. We’ll keep working and see where the road leads us.

Do you buy into the hype of this upcoming game?

I love it. It’s good to be in big games. It’s better to be in big games than ones that nobody is watching. We better be appreciative of this spot and not resist it in anyway but embrace it because this is what we’ve been fighting for since March. To be in these types of games against these type people. Why would you fight that? It’s an awesome thing.

 

Transcript provided by the Pittsburgh Steelers


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