Mike Tomlin: 'It's put up and shut up time' for Steelers
After the Cincinnati Bengals handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their biggest margin of defeat in the Mike Tomlin era, it has raised questions about the team’s lack of physicality and toughness.
Addressing the 41-10 loss in Cincinnati and looking ahead to another AFC North game Sunday — this one against the first-place Baltimore Ravens — Tomlin is curious to see if the Steelers change the narrative that they’ve become soft.
“We’ll see on Sunday, won’t we?” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “It’s put up and shut up time. Talking doesn’t get it done. … What we do in that stadium is real. We’re not seeking comfort or trying to quell the masses. We stunk it up so we’re going to wallow in the stench for a while and wait for our next opportunity to play football.”
It comes in the form of the first of two meetings against the Ravens (8-3) in the final six weeks of the regular season. The Steelers (5-5-1) are riding an 0-2-1 streak that has dropped them into a tie with Cleveland (6-6) at the bottom of the division.
“You don’t get that stench off you in a number of days,” Tomlin said. “It will be some time as we work our way to back to respectability. It will require good days, good focus days, good strategy and good play.”
Tomlin suggested changes will be coming in either personnel or scheme but said they will not be dramatic given the players available and the limited time left in the season.
“They will probably be more subtle, but hopefully significant and significant in a positive way,” he said.
Tomlin said the Steelers could get cornerback Joe Haden back from a two-game absence because of a foot injury. Without Haden, the Steelers gave up 41 points apiece to the Chargers and Bengals.
Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, though, is on the reserve/covid list and may not return in time to play against the Ravens. Inside linebacker Robert Spillane, who played some snaps while Devin Bush was benched, is “less than available” because of a sprained knee.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth is in the concussion protocol and long snapper Christian Kuntz is dealing with a hip injury.
Defensive end Stephon Tuitt has spent all season on injured reserve after having knee surgery in training camp. With six weeks remaining, it’s unlikely that Tuitt will be activated since players typically take advantage of the entire three-week practice period before they are added to the 53-man roster.
“I haven’t given it a six-week perspective,” Tomlin said. “I have a Ravens Week perspective. He won’t be available to us this week. The people that have my attention are the ones who will be.”
Here is some more of what Tomlin had to say at his press conference:
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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