Coach Mike Tomlin Postgame Press Conference (Week 4 vs Minnesota Vikings) | Pittsburgh Steelers

One second. [Music] Before I even get to the game, I I just can’t express enough um the reception that we got here. Um the hospitality, um the accommodations, the service, um it was all top-notch, man. It’s an honor to represent American football here uh in Dublin. Uh it was just a just a great trip. Obviously, um component of it being a great trip is doing the job and thankfully we were able to do that. We made it a little bit more entertaining than maybe it should have been. Uh but the Vikings had a lot to do with that. Uh that group’s got a lot of fight, man. They’re well coached. Um it’s just a fun atmosphere, man. Good to get a win. Good to go in to the buy uh in the position that we’re in. uh we’re leaking in some areas and so man it’s it’s probably at an appropriate time but to be honest with you I’ve never had a buy that didn’t seem like it didn’t come at the appropriate time. Um Calvin Austin’s got a shoulder. I think he’s at the hospital being evaluated. Jaylen Ramsey was in and out of the game with a hamstring. Um Brandon Eckles had cramps. Um Slay got cleated. you know, we were leaking a little bit in the secondary um coming into the game without Joey Porter. Um but such is life. Again, I’m just thankful to get the victory. I appreciate the fight of the guys. Uh certainly you want to finish that game off cleaner, man. So, we got some get better ahead of us, but it’s good to do that with a W. Um you know, we talked a lot about the late great Ambassador Rooney last night. Um I know he’s smiling at us today, man. It’s just it’s just an honor, man, to fulfill his vision um to bring NFL football to Dublin, man. And been thinking about him a lot on a personal level. And so I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that. I’ll pause and open up for questions. Jaylen, um Jaylen was a pregame decision. Um that’s why we listed him as questionable. um he worked out prior to the game and you know we just didn’t feel good enough man didn’t want to put him in a uniform and then he wouldn’t be able to finish and then you’re working a guy short and so you know we worked them out and and that’s where we settled. Um Jaylen’s a tough guy. He wanted to do it. Um but I just I just thought it was prudent not to. Um but I also got a great deal of confidence in in Kenny Gainwell man and he and he showed you why. Um top-notch competitor and professional. Um he’s been a great asset to us, man. Uh in the running game, out of the back field, he’s just a football player first and I appreciate his efforts today. Coach, uh speaking about Kenny Gwell, is that a guy that you didn’t get, you know, roles going for you? I tell you, man, Kenny’s always ready for whatever we ask him to do. Um and so, no, I would not be surprised by that. Um he’s just a top-notch competitor. Um and I’m glad he’s with us. What do you think? You know, I I I thought that we put together a good plan and I thought they did a nice job of executing it. Um the Vikings got some challenging schematics. Uh they worked to minimize your fourman rush with max protections. I think the adjustments we made relative to the max protections was a major component why we were able to put pressure on them. And so kudos to TA and company. Uh but also kudos to the men. We had a bunch of guys that played hard and made a bunch of plays today and we needed them. that leaking you referred to the injuries in the secondary. Did that lead to that 81 catch? Unfortunately, yes. Um, we were leaking bad at that juncture, man. I think we had big nickel in and I think three safeties and and that’s not ideal under the circumstance. You’re really limited in terms of your schematics. You can’t play manto man and and so it was what it was. Um, but but we were able to get out of the stadium. [Music] You know, um I’m certainly interested in starting fast, but the start doesn’t determine the game. Um it’s a 60-minute football game as you guys just saw. Um and so you got to start fast. You got to be competitive in the middle. Uh you better be competitive at the end. Um we’re in the ultimate parody league. And I think that’s why we have such a good relationship with our fans, man. And and and and we enjoy putting our talents and skills on display for them. A lot of the as you mentioned the connection between the Rooney family and and this country here, you know, the Irish people have certainly embraced embraced the Steelers as as the whole thing this week. How much did you strike, you know, how did you strike a balance between allowing that to to filter into the locker room and not not allowing it to become a distraction? you know, um, our guys are professional and and so I I think you can, two things can be true. You can appreciate this unique opportunity that we had to come represent um, American football here while at the same time you can do what it is you need to do to to pursue victory and handle this week’s job. And so, like that’s the that’s the approach we took it. We weren’t going to fight against it. Uh, we want to appreciate it, yet at the same time, we understood what we came here to do. last two weeks the defense. How do you keep the momentum going with the next? You know, for us it’s just about getting healthy to be quite honest with you. And um we hadn’t been that. Um you got no control over that. It’s just about how you respond to it. Um depth is required. We got a lot of competitive guys. Can’t say enough about Brandon Eckles, man. That guy’s played a lot of football for us, man. Um but but our depth has been tested. It’ll be good to to get a week off, man, and and and get more healthy and get ready for what lies ahead. You were saying on Friday down defense, how were you? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. Talking about on Friday down defense. How happy were you? I was um but again, as I mentioned, we felt comfortable with our plan. We knew that they would max protect and neutralize our rush and um I just think we had a had a a solid counter plan and and the guys understood it and executed at a high level. But that’s the name of the game. Possession down football, winning it, making big plays, playing complimentary football. I thought for the better part of the day, we did most of those things. Appreciate you just coming out. You said good. Are you able to evaluate time four weeks of school? You know, forget my perception of it. We’re three and one and that’s all that matters. Um, you know, would I like to be 4-0? Certainly. Uh, but we are what we are. Um, I’ve learned not to, you know, kid myself. Um, you are what your record says you are and so that’s where we are going into the buy and I can take it. How impressed were you about pressure? I’m sorry. How impressed were you by the amount of pressure you got in today? Man, it was required. Um, we got a lot of respect for Carson Wentz, man. He’s a veteran guy. They got a ver vertical passing attack. They go down the grass to their outstanding tandem of receivers and and so we knew it’d be an opportunity to maybe provide some pressure because of their mode of operation, the fact that they’re vertical group. Um, but obviously, as you can see, they’re capable of making some plays as well. And so, um, it’s competitive. Coach DK back got the same amount of targets in the ball last game as he did in the first half today. Uh was getting the ball early kind of quick. I think getting him the ball is always our agenda. Uh sometimes it’s it’s controlled by other things. Uh in previous weeks we weren’t getting off the way we would like on third down so it minimizes offensive possessions. We weren’t winning possession downs. And so you know it these are not these are complex discussions. They’re not they don’t happen in a vacuum. Um we didn’t go get DK not to get him the ball. Um and so today was a reflection of our intentions, but that’s been our intentions every week. Coach, what did you make of the Dublin experience? And you think that other sides will relish coming here in the atmosphere and everything the fans have given you? I I tell you what, man. Um as I mentioned, our reception was first class in every way. Um I’m sure others will will experience the same things we experienced. I can’t say enough about the hospitality that Dublin provided us. Two more coaching playing more this week. How you will work with this by week and the next week to get um you know I uh I promised him a sweet by-week if we got the business done. And so I probably have to fulfill that promise. It won’t probably be a lot of work uh in the week that lies ahead. Uh but we’ll get us a good bonus Monday, man, and a good week’s work coming out of it. But they’re deserving of that. And as I mentioned, it’s probably appropriate because we got a lot of people down. Last one. There was down there going for it. Are you happy with the indication of a very I love his competitive spirit. Um I love to support it. Um I like a guy that plays and plays to win. Um, and so he’s an asset to us in that way. Certainly, um, regardless of the outcome of the play, certainly it didn’t unfold the way we would like. Um, but we’re prepared to die with our boots on and pursue victory and not and not, uh, live in our fears. Thanks, guys. Airbuds.

Coach Mike Tomlin speaks to the media about the Steelers matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 of the 2025 season.

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30 comments

  24. You have no control over getting healthy? Try pulling a player like Ramsey off the field when he was clearly injured and in pain instead of leaving him out there to get injured worse, not to mention to get burned on a touchdown pass.

  28. The hamstring is just another example of Tomlin not coaching. We all saw him grab his ham earlier. A good coach would have told the staff to stretch him out…but nope, he went and sat down. Whata ya know, ham again. Calls at the end of the game…obvious to everyone except Mike.

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