Coach Tomlin Press Conference (Week 12 at Chicago Bears) | Pittsburgh Steelers

Coach Tomlin Press Conference (Week 12 at Chicago Bears) | Pittsburgh Steelers

[Music] Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to the UPMC Rooney Southside Complex here as the Steelers get ready for a big game on the road this week at Chicago. The Bears 7 and3 after a win in Minnesota 1917. The Steelers with a nice win here against the Bengals got a little revenge 3412. Mason Rudolph came in after the injury to Aaron Rogers. Did very well. And that defense took the ball away twice and did a good job shutting down Chase and Higgins. A whole new test this week against the Bears. Mike Tomlin is ready to speak about it. All right. Uh we get up there shortly. Um but as I said, the the Steelers coming off that win and some big plays in it. Uh when I think about that game, I always think about Darnell Washington more than anything else. Rumbling down the field, stumbling, bumbling over everybody. three guys who certainly made business decisions to get out of the way, but that’s the impact he’s had on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Uh, and that was a big play in that game. Also, third down conversions as the Steelers came up with two of them in the first drive of the second half uh in roots of some points there to put that game away. All right, let’s go upstairs now. Mike Tomlin is ready to address the media. Good afternoon. Um, as always, I’ll start with a quick assessment of our last performance. Um, I just thought as the game went on, um, our fight was evident. Um, we made more plays in in all three phases the deeper we got into the game. Um, and that’s what you want to see and feel from a group uh, that’s fighting. Um, and I felt it. Um, certainly I thought it was significant. There was less speculation from a defensive perspective of what we might get from Flaco and company. Uh the first time we played those guys, we had a oneweek body of work to study and it wasn’t a complete week. Um and so there were more there was more speculation about um how Joe would would alter their attack, how the lens through which he would see it. Um the things that they would do to get the ball obviously to their two top playmakers. And you know, as we stood in here last week, we said there were less speculation there. Um although they had been highly successful. I think Joe had thrown for over 400 yards the week prior to our game. Uh there was less speculation there. We could anchor down and make some hardcore decisions about how to allocate our schematic resources and our talent. Um I thought the guys did a nice job absorbing the plan and executing the plan. Um in game certainly we had some challenges and guys continually step up for us. Two guys in the secondary um certainly worth mentioning are are Kyle Duggar and and James Pierre. But I think we also talked about those guys a week ago. Um, from an offensive perspective, um, it’s good when when you absorb some attrition, um, and and the ball keeps rolling. Can’t say enough about Mason Rudolph. Um, although we’re used to it, um, is still appreciated. He’s proven over his time here, um, that he’s capable of coming in and playing winning football for us. Um, and that’s no small task. um when you’re preparing during the course of a week um as a backup uh you have a limited number of reps. Um usually the the guts of the plan are geared toward the specific talents of the starters and so you may get some reps but it might not be quote unquote plays that are you know perfectly in your wheelhouse. He’s always found a way uh to manage those challenges to to remain confident um for that confidence to to ooze out of him and and be a catalyst for a collective performance and we got that. We certainly um got quality efforts from Kenny Gainwell as well um once Jaylen um was limited in in the game. Can’t say enough about Kenny. Kenny does a lot of things well for us. I I always refer to him as a football player first and a running back second. Um he’s good in the running game, he’s good in the passing game, he returns kicks for us, he covers kicks, he had a kickoff tackle, I think on Sunday, uh as a reflection of that versatility and so um excited about our ability to to secure that, uh very important AFC North win. Uh but it’s equally important um that we build upon that this week in and stack wins. Uh it’s November. Um teams are revealing themselves this time of year. Um you’re consistently improving or you’re consistently not. Uh certainly we desire to be in the first group. Um we’ll get an opportunity to display that on weekends. In the meanwhile, man, we got to work with an edge from a prep standpoint to ensure that happens. um as you get into the guts of this thing, some of your physical preparation gets somewhat limited um due to the attrition component of this journey or just simply the nature in which we practice. Um and so how do you get better, man? It’s attention to detail. It’s classroom work. It’s a uh additional informal work. It’s really pointed on field work. And so I’m excited about this week from that standpoint. From a health standpoint, I’ll talk about some things. First, uh Aaron Aaron’s got a a fracture in his wrist. Um it does not require surgery. Um really, it’s just about bracing it and securing it uh for his comfort and safety. And then it’s about how functional he is. Um and so we don’t have the answers to that as we stand here today. Uh but certainly I would imagine we’re gonna get some clarity as we push through the week. I think his experience really kind of aids in that. Um he’s the type of guy and has the type of profile that doesn’t require a lot of physical work in an effort to be ready to play. Um and that’s helpful. Um in the meanwhile certainly uh it’ll provide opportunities for Mason and Will to get quality work as we start the week and I think that’s the posture that we’re in. Um, a little later in the week, we’ll take a look at Aaron. And again, I, as I mentioned, the variables are, um, stabilizing it and making sure that he’s safe and he can protect himself, brace himself as he falls, etc. Um, pain tolerance, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue with Aaron. Uh, he wanted to go back in the game on Sunday. Um, and then lastly, obviously, um, how effective he can be. And so, you know, Friday is probably a big day in terms of some of those things. Um, I know he’s working his tail off to to to be a component of this this week. Um, he and I talked yesterday. He expressed that directly. Um, I’m of the mindset of supporting that while at the same time. Um, I got a healthy collective of guys um, as a team and as a unit to ready in the meanwhile. That will be our mindset. Um we’ll have a great week’s work uh tomorrow um centered around Mason Rudolph and and what he does and we’ll see where the week leads us and we’ll take it day by day. Um Alex Highmith is still um limited with his pack. Um he’ll be limited at the early portions of the week. Um if there’s an uptick in his participation and certainly good quality work, we’ll consider him. Uh Keshan Williams is in the protocol. We’ll let the protocol speak for itself. I would imagine Slay is on the other side of the protocol, so we should be able to have him back this week. Um similarly optimistic with Cole Hokum. Uh Jaylen Warren um had an ankle injury in game. Uh it certainly will limit him at the early portions of this week, but I think we’re all optimistic about his inclusion uh as we push through the week. And then we got some other bumps and bruises associated with play. Uh guys came back like Isaac Smallo man doesn’t appear to have um any negative effects of his participation. Certainly might limit him at the top of the week, but it’s not going to affect his availability as we push forward toward game time. Now on to the Bears. Um really excited about this one. Um I love the challenge of of seeing a new collective. uh someone that we don’t see quite often and certainly they fit that description, but they’re also a new collective from a from a schematics perspective. Um I’ll start first on defense. Um they have defense, they have Dennis Allen um as their coordinator. Uh he’s been around. He has a mode of operation, if you will. Um and you see it in their video. Um they covet taking the ball away. They lead the league in takeaways. I think they got 22 on the season. Um, DA also prides himself in good possession down defense. I think they’re second in the league in terms of third down success rate. And I think those two statistics are the catalyst for why um they’re playing really good defense and they’re a seven and three football team. Uh they’re taking the ball away from people. They’re playing really good on possession downs. Offensive units are at about 33.7 I think percent conversion rates. Couple that with what’s going on in the offensive side of the ball. You certainly have your challenges. They got quality players um at all levels. Uh they picked up sweat a couple of years ago from from Washington. Um he’s the signature of their front and edge rush. Um he’s a challenge certainly to deal with. Um and has been at the linebacker level. Edmonds man is a sideline to sideline tackler. Big- time athlete. Um he’s a good blitzer. I think he’s got four interceptions on the season. Um they got some guys in the secondary that are really taking advantage um of some circumstances, man, and and and getting people in one-dimensional moments. People have to absorb risk to keep pace with them, come back in football games, etc. Um and they’re getting a lot of turnovers. Kevin has done it a long time at the safety position. Um he’s been a ball guy. I was just, you know, talking to someone this morning, man. He picked off balls as a member of the Tennessee Titans. He picked off balls at Middle Tennessee State. Um, guys that have a, you know, have a have a a knack for for for securing the ball, generally they do it regardless of environment and he and it certainly continues in Chicago for him. I think he leaves him with five interceptions. Uh, they’re getting some quality play outside um at corner as well. Um, man, Gardenner Johnson is is a recent acquisition for them, and boy, he has really got on the move and trained in a really impressive fashion. Um, he plays the nickel form. He blitzes quite a bit. Um, he’s really good in underneath defense and man-to-man circumstances. I think he’s got three sacks. As I mentioned, their their third down posture is an aggressive one. Um, they’re in an up posture a lot. They blitz and bring a lot of people. Um, Gardenner Johnson being one of them, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Brisker as well. Um, he’s a down safety that’s in around in and around the line of scrimmage quite a bit. I’ve known that young man a long time and got respect for his talents and his relationship with the game and the energy that he plays with as well. And then on the offensive side of the ball, um, certainly Ben Johnson challenges you schematically um, with his approach to ball is somewhat unique. Um but it is a mode of operation. Um they run the ball, they have a commitment. Uh they have a two-back system similar to what they had in Detroit. Um they have some highly su successful perimeter runs uh like they also did in Detroit. They got some third down runs that they’ll push away. Um they’re they’re gadget oriented. The reverse game is a big component of it as well. Um all things that we saw from him uh in Detroit. They’re doing a real good job of taking care of the ball on that side as well. We got a defense that’s got 22 takeaways and I think you’ve only turned it over six times on offense. You’re going to be seven and three um or or something of that nature. Um you’re going to win a lot of football games and they have um they do a great job of preserving the ball um and protecting it. I can’t say enough about what I’ve seen from Caleb Williams. Certainly, I hadn’t studied him a lot being a a young guy in this league and an NFC guy, but just really impressed uh with his physical talents. Um his ability to throw the football, his his accuracy, his arm strength, um his ability to extend, um his ability to see the full field while doing so, minimizing negativity, um the creativity associated with his escapability and and play extension is is really challenging. It’s not only challenging in stadium, but to be quite honest with you, it’s challenging to duplicate uh in the process of prep. I doubt Will Howard is going to give us a quality look at some of that stuff I’ve been looking at on tape, for example. Um he’s got a full complement of eligibles to work with. Um DJ Moore and others, man, are really impressive. Um, but he’s also got some emerging young people and you feel the emergence of some of the young talent. Lovelin obviously had a big game the other week against the Bengals. Um, he’s on he’s on the come and so is Luther, their young receiver from Missouri. Um, it it’s just particularly as you get to this stage of the season, um, some of these young talented people um that that people have a lot of draft capital invested in usually captures my attention. they’re usually uh finding their footing in this thing and and their talents are starting to show up more consistently. And so those are two um lesserk known guys that that that that really have my attention as I study and watch tape and we’re at the early stages of formulating a plan. Can’t say enough about um their commitment to the run game though. They’re number two in the league in rushing and you can’t underscore that. Um but that’s something that was very evident. that commitment was very evident uh from his time in Detroit as well. And so we’re working with an edge, man. We’re excited about going into a hostile venue, playing against a really good team. Um if you’re a competitor, if you’re looking to get better, if you’re looking to prove prove yourself continually, uh those are some variables that are really attractive. And but again, we show our excitement uh by being locked in and having good preparation days. And I’m looking forward to that over the course of this week. I’ll pause and open up for questions. Just to be clear, so you’re not ruling out Aaron, the possibility he could play. No, I’m not. And will Friday be the first day that he was tested? Is that kind of where you are? Um, that’s just what I have in my mind. There hadn’t been anything. I know he’s not working tomorrow. Um, but certainly I assume it’s going to be a little later in the week and and in the meanwhile, it give us an opportunity to really get solid with a plan or and physical preparation around the other two. Like, would you like to see him practice at all? I mean, is that is he going to have to practice a little bit to be available? Yeah, functionality is a component of it. I don’t need it for my comfort, but I certainly need it for for functionality. And functionality is a major component of of whether or not he gets an opportunity this week. How do you balance game planning with the quarterback up in the air, tailoring it to Mason or to Aaron? It’s not anything to balance. We’ve we’ve gone through nine nine or so games take catering it to Aaron and his talents and are gaining certain traction there about the schematics and all the while um we’ve been gaining some perspective about what’s best uh for Mason. As a matter of fact, each and every week, you know, he kind of goes through things within the plan that are really comfortable for him. And so, um it won’t be our first week at it. certainly will be our first week uh operationally, but the process um you go through that just about every week as you prepare a starter and a potential backup in terms of how to best highlight their talents and and and so that the unit can move regardless of who’s playing particularly when they have different skill sets. Following up on that, doctors cleared Aaron to play. Have doctors play? Um again, we’re we’re not going to get to that until we know that we can stabilize it. And so they’re probably looking at some devices that do that and things of that nature. I haven’t asked specifically that question, but I’ve given you the line of of communication and conversation that we have. It’s about stabilizing it. It’s about making sure that he can manage the pain that doesn’t appear to be an issue. Again, having been around him and then functionality. And so those are the variables. How much input is he going to have or versus you versus the doctors on decision- wise? It’s his body. So certainly he’s going to be a component of the discussion. Following up on the point that you made about uh getting the backup ready and knowing what they want should they get in there. Mason made the point in postgame comments about how valuable the time was. The Bengals first drive when they got the field goal, the real time was a lot longer than the time off the off the clock. What they used the time that he had with Arthur to get those plays in there. Can you kind of take us through how those conversations worked and halftime knowing he was going in how that led into getting those plays put together? Again, those conversations um happen before we get in stadium. Uh they generally happen weekly toward the latter part of the week, Friday and Saturday. He’ll get time with Arthur and highlight some things uh within the plan that best suit his skill set, the things that he sees with great great clarity relative to who we’re competing against. And so when you get in game and you’re faced with elevating him, um it’s simply a continuation of some of those things with, you know, with a focus on what’s transpiring in game. And so that’s the nature of the conversation. It transpired at halftime. It transpired continually once they got to the sideline. It’s ongoing in between series uh once you get in game. um he only had two real series because um how the second half unfolded, but that’s the nature of the conversation and the flow of information and our general approach to it. Mike, if Slay is healthy, does he step back in as a starter or will you stick with Pierre? Yeah, he steps back in and plays certainly. We certainly going to continue to play James. Uh he’s deserving of that, but if healthy, Slay’s going to play. Mike, was Jaylen Warren cleared to return on Sunday? He was. What that was that sequence there right at the end of the quarter where he was on the field. Correct. And then you guys called timeout and he came off the field and then he didn’t come back in the rest of the game. Is that a coaching decision based on was it protecting him or feeling that game well was he was he was cleared to play. He was willing to play. Um we just thought Kenny was doing a good job. Um those are decisions that we make in game sometimes. It’s not totally up to the players will or the expert medical device. It’s about who gives us the best chance to win. And certainly at that point in the game, based on what we’ve seen, things were going well with Kenny, things were less than ideal with Jaylen. And so we stuck with the hot hand. During that final sequence before the half, Aaron did take a couple of hits. Just to clarify, was he injured on the second down throw when he threw it out of bounds? Do you have any idea? I don’t know specifically when the injury occurred. No. Mike, with will Howard now potentially closer to playing time, will he get any reps with the first team this week in practice? We’ll see. We’ll see where a week goes. Mike, it’s only been a couple of weeks for him. How what have you noticed from him or He’s been with us the whole time. Um and so he’s a sharp guy. Um like the general trajectory of his work. Um he’s certainly in the position that he’s in doesn’t get a lot of quote unquote stealer reps. Um but the reps that he does get, he has taken advantage of and I’m sure there’ll be an uptick in those opportunities this week. Mike, James Pierre leaves you guys, ties Joey with most pass break, passes broken up right now, despite not seeing the field as much as other DBs. What does he have to do to be more of a consistent presence for you guys, you know, over a guy like Darius Sled? He’s done a nice job, but again, usually when you’re a backup, man, you get targets. And so when you get targets, you generally get breakups. Um, we have not been displeased with his efforts. We’ve been quite pleased with his efforts. We’re certainly interested in continuing to use him as we move forward. Mike Roman Roman is getting more and more opportunities. What are you seeing from the snaps he’s getting? Roman Wilson, same thing. He’s a guy that’s um getting better with exposure. Um but that’s a reasonable expectation. He’s a secondyear player. Um he’s getting more comfortable within the framework of what we ask him to do. I think the game slowing down for him. I certainly don’t want to speak for him, but it’s evident in watching him play. Mike, how does how’s Malik Harrison fit in once Hulkcom comes back and what do you think of his play so far? We’ll determine that. You know, um he’s done a nice job in the interim. Um you know, I don’t view these juggling things as issues to be quite honest with you. Um not having options is an issue. And so if Cole is cleared to play, man, we’ll have an issue in terms of how we divide the labor up between those two. Just like if Slay is cleared to play, we’ll have an issue of deciding how how to divide the labor up. Uh but from my perspective, none of that is a problem. Um a problem is when you don’t have healthy, capable guys available to you. Coach, talking about Caleb Williams, his capability, is your experience with all these matchups, someone like Lamar Jackson applicable for someone like Caleb, even though they’re very different players? Um in in some ways, yes, and in in in some ways, no. Um certainly um most of us have a knee-jerk reaction or a schematic response to to quarterback mobility, but they as you mentioned, they’re all unique and individual people. Um and so really right now, man, we’re just getting really familiar with what makes Caleb Caleb. Anyone else? Mike, the um three outside linebacker look certainly influenced the dugger pick six. Um Nick had a real good rush on that. Are you finding that package to become more useful, especially as Sawyer has gotten a little bit more used to NFL action? Yeah, but you know, we were in that game even prior to Sawyer. Um, you know, it’s really about um Herbick and and Highmith and and and Watt. Obviously, Sawyer’s done a nice job of filling in when when guys have been missing. Uh, but it’s about getting people in onedimensional passing circumstances and getting our very best rushment on the field regardless of position. Mike, what do you guys what do you guys have to do to be more consistent on on third down deal on third and long? You know, the first thing you need to do is stay out of third and long. You know, I don’t know many teams in the National Football League that are highly effective in those circumstances. Oh. Oh. Defensively, you know, it’s rushing coverage. Um, it is um and it’s and it’s, you know, a play here, a play there. Um, not overly concerned about it. Um, you hate when you lose those downs. Um but not overly concerned about it. Mike, do you get a sense that Aaron especially wants to play this week given who the opponent is and his familiar Aaron always wants to play. Opponent has nothing to do with it. It’s his love affair with the game of football. Was there a reason or explanation why he didn’t come back out on the field after halftime as I mentioned they were trying to assess the extent of his injury? Um, and that takes time. And then certainly they they want to stabilize it before they allow him to participate, even if he’s willing. And so I imagine that those are the variables that played into him uh not returning to the sideline. And and as I mentioned, the way that the game unfolded, we only had two possessions in the second half, I think, offensively. Anyway, Mike, I know some of the play calling can change from one quarterback to the other based on what they like or maybe don’t like. Does the overall game plan change between the two quarterbacks? Not necessarily. the game plan or your your unit personality, but certainly um you know, the things within it. Um you know, everyone’s different, particularly at the quarterback position. We certainly if Mason’s our guy this week, um we want to work within his comfort zone, the things that that he sees and does well that might differ uh from Aaron. And so, um but again, it’s it’s all within the framework of of what it is that we we do. Mike, how has Darnell gotten better as a receiver, as a as an option in the passing game, especially this season? You know, I don’t know that he’s physically gotten better. We might just be discovering him. Um, some of the freakish things that you see him do in stadium, I saw on Georgia tape. Um, some of the freakish things that I’ve seen him do this year, I saw him do last year. Um he had a unique run after certainly the other day that kind of ignited our collective offensively and defensively, but he had a similar type play um I remember in Indianapolis last year um when we were kind of, you know, running in place offensively and he made a play and it kind of ignited us. Um he’s a special athlete. He has unique talents. Um, he’s certainly a tough guy to deal with in one-on-one tackle circumstances and it and it makes him a force to be reckoned with. Mike, Chase Brown had two uh two explosive runs against you guys, otherwise bottled up, but now you’re facing a a team that has like one of the highest explosive run rates in the NFL. What do you guys have to do in particular to stop how Chicago breaks their big runs? You know, it’s it’s what it’s about us. It’s not about our opponent. It’s it’s it’s not uh respectfully. Um it’s about being in our gaps and and and communicating and adjusting and being solid that way. Mike, were you aware at the time that Jaylen Ramsey said that Chase spit on him? And what’s your thoughts on how the NFL handled that yesterday? You know, um I was aware. Um I certainly talked to Jaylen in game. Um it’s an unfortunate incident. Um it’s not an act that’s common to the game of football. has nothing to do with football. Um, and so, um, I’m not going to comment on it. The the the NFL office rendered their judgment and and so we’re moving on. One thing you’ve noticed about Mason in your time being around him since he got here as a rookie, how much better he’s gotten at playing at tempo, getting in and out of the huddle, uh, making the offense move with pace. Yeah, and and that was a component of his game in Stillwater. Um and and I think that’s one of the subtle things that you talk about or think about when you you know you’re bringing the game to to the quarterback. Um it’s not only um plays but pace um personnel groups, relationships with with eligibles. Um there are a lot of variables um that come into consideration when you’re talking about teeing things up for a specific signal caller. Mike, the turnover battle is always big for you guys. obviously in LA, uh, not so great and forced two for points this time. Just what was different this time? Uh, we caught them. Um, you know, um, sometimes it’s subtle. Um, as I mentioned, we’re not reactionary in our commitment to to our turnover culture, whether it’s getting the ball or or safeguarding it. Um, sometimes the results may differ. Um, but the spirit and the commitment is unchanged. And so, um, I don’t know that anything was different in terms of our commitment or our approach or our process leading up to play. Certainly, the results were different, but the results are going to be different every week. I think that’s why um, this game is so exciting and and people enjoy it. Mike, what have you seen from your offensive line uh, the past couple of weeks as far as the run game? Seems like it’s been kind of sporadic with the the big plays you guys are going to go hit in the run game. You know, I just think in general, uh, we’re growing as an individuals and as a collective. Um, and growing in the right ways. Um, but again, uh, it’s the same discussion when I was talking about Roman earlier. That’s a reasonable expectation. Um, we’re young group, man, with with with exposure. Um, should come in increased play. Um, and whether that’s an individual or whether that’s a collective, um, that’s just a general mindset. Mike Mike Ramsey plays with an edge. He has his whole career. When something like that happens on Sunday, because the play before they had to be separated, was your message to him to try to simply remove himself from that stuff? And how do you as a competitor, how do you sort of keep him from sort of, you know, I have no message. If someone spits in your face, do what comes natural. How do you how do you balance uh you know playing experienced players versus playing hot players like in the case of Pierre and Slay where Pierre is breaking up a lot of the passes and I know some of those because he’s getting those targets but overall he is playing at at a high level you know balancing using that hot hand versus bringing in the experience he got. What’s your question? How do you balance that as a coach making that decision as far as who to use thoughtfully? Anyone else? All right. Thanks guys. All right, that’s Mike Tomlin’s press conference for this Tuesday. Bob Pompiani joined by Missy Matthews here as we take a look back at some of the things he talked about. Uh, and it big question of course is Aaron Rogers who wanted to come back in that game last week, but it was not going to happen. And he’s going to be a question mark as this week rolls on. Yeah, coach Shonlin did say he does have a fractured wrist. It was his left wrist, so not his throwing hand. uh surgery will not be required. So that’s the good news, but it’s all about how they’re going to stabilize his wrist um and take care of it. We’ll hear from coach Tomlin coming up in just a little bit for all the details and what the plan is for practice. Yeah, we’ll talk about that. We’ll talk about the Bears who’ve been very good at 7 and three. We’ll break those items down and much more as we continue with our coverage of this Tomlin Tuesday. Thank you for joining us here on KDK Plus and Steeler Digital Platforms. We’ll be right back. [Music] Get all your Steelers gear direct from the team. Shop the Steelers Pro Shop in store or online for all things black and gold. You can get jerseys, hats, authentic memorabilia, custom gear, and exclusives you can’t find anywhere else. And of course, get the ultimate Steelers game day accessory, the terrible towel. Steelers Nation shops here. Get your gear in store or online at shop.steelers.com. You hadn’t been in a a game that mattered for a while here. Um, what was it like when you found out and when you went and it didn’t seem to stop you from kind of attacking and converting third down? Yeah, I was I was uh you never know when when you never know what’s going to come and and um but I was, you know, I was you always have a little jitters first time going back all year. So, but I was when when we’re running the ball the way we were and then um a couple guys made a couple nice plays on third and extra long. Darnell on that check down. Um, Kenny on that kind of that flare route. So, um, I mean, two defensive touchdowns right right when we needed the most was was huge. So, and we ran the ball really well. I barely got touched. So, offensive line, you know, hats off to them. It was it was a lot of fun. What was the timeline like? Did you know you were going in the game before halftime, after halftime? Well, I mean, I saw what you guys saw, which was aid kind of go down and gingerly a little bit, but I wasn’t sure severity, and I’m still really not sure either. So, we we talked in the locker room, and he told me he kind gave me the finger and said, “Hey, you’re going not the bad finger, but the the index and said, uh, you’re going in.” And so we, you know, u appreciate Arthur Smith and and Tom working with me to kind of uh get to the stuff that I liked in the game plan and tailor it to kind of my favorites. So it was that’s how it went. [Music] Our fans are here. Give them something to cheer about to them. The crowd at Acure is so loud. There’s nothing like game day in Pittsburgh. Oh my TJ. defense is swarming and it’s picked off. Wow, what a catch. Get two. Touchdown Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll see you at AAR State. Here we go. [Music] First, uh Aaron Aaron’s got a a fracture in his wrist. Um it does not require surgery. Um really it’s just about bracing it and securing it uh for his comfort and safety and then it’s about how functional he is. Um, and so we don’t have the answers to that as we stand here today. U but certainly I would imagine we’re going to get some clarity as we push through the week. That’s Mike Tomlin talking about the injury to Aaron Rogers and the fact he wanted to get back to play and you you can bet he wants to play this week. It is Chicago, a place that he’s played very well and kind of owned. But Missy, they have to be very careful with this. And they have a guy in Mason Rudolph who is very good at coming into these kind of situations and doing well. We saw that a couple of years ago at the end of the season where he won three straight games going into the playoffs. So, I guess this is going to be just see how the week unfolds and then make a decision on Sunday. Yeah, Mason definitely saved Christmas uh and the Steelers playoff chances that season 2023, but I think you know he went in uh cold found out literally Aaron telling him after they started looking at his wrist um at halftime that hey, you’re up. So, Mason goes in I thought did a great job and you know, Will Howard had just returned to practice. So, for those two guys, this will give them a chance because they want Aaron to take it easy until they figure out how to stabilize his wrist. Let Mason get the first team reps. Let Will Howard uh get some extra reps as well. Even coach Donlin said that while Will Howard will be a great uh you know, Caleb Williams type player for the scout team. They’re going to have to figure this out because you’re not really going to know until Friday, according to coach, if Aaron’s going to be able to play or not. And in terms of stabilizing his wrist, he made it very clear that has to be comfortable and effective uh for his safety. If he falls again, if he gets sacked, how does that make it worse or something else happened to it? But also, how is it he going to be effective as a passer? So, those are all things they’re going to have to wait and see. It makes sense to get the young guys ready in the early portions of the week. Aaron Rogers has played enough games, I think, started his 251st on Sunday. So, I think he’ll be good to go if, you know, all of the medical things check out and he’s comfortable with it. But knowing uh that coach said that Aaron was lobbying to come back into the game on Sunday against the Bengals, I’m pretty sure whatever it takes, he’s going to be game four. And the one thing we saw from Rudolph as he came in, just two possessions, both resulted in scores. He was good on third down, I think, five for six. And in that first drive, they were third and long, third and 11, third and 17. Both were converted. First one went to Roman Wilson, then to Darnell Washington. So, uh, he knows how to make that happen, especially in a short amount of time that we may be talking about here, but again, this is a decision that’ll take place a little later. As far as other injuries, there are some Darius Slay looks like he’s going to be out of the protocol, Missy, and he’ll be active as a starter. Yeah, Coach Shland was directly asked, you know, if he’s able to play out of the concussion protocol, does he go exactly back to his spot? And coach Shland said yes, but they will be finding ways to involve James Pierre, who clearly did a phenomenal job uh getting to start on Sunday against the Bengals. Yeah, and you saw him down the field make a nice play against uh Jamar Chase in that game. And it’s really amazing the first time compared to the second time they face Cincinnati. The first time u Chase had 23 target, 16 receptions. This time 10 and three respectively. That’s a big difference. Coaching staff needs a lot of credit for that. The ch especially knowing they had a depleted secondary at times. Yeah, absolutely. But, you know, James Pierre was part of that crew that beat Tom Brady at home in 2021, I believe. Um, and there was a number of their starters out as well. So, as you know, it it doesn’t seem possible, but he is quote unquote a veteran. Um, in terms of the Steelers and undrafted guy in 2020, obviously spent a little bit of time elsewhere, but has pretty much came back here. Didn’t make the official roster, the 53, after training camp, but luckily they’ve had him on the practice squad and then were able to use him on the active roster. Yeah. And another guy uh we talk about next man up. It was Kyle Duggar who just arrived here a couple of weeks ago. Um jumped on that quote moving train very nicely in the first game. He didn’t make the kind of play he made in this game, but he was there for 77 snaps out of 78. This time around he made the game-changing play. They were driving was 13 and N at the time. And the Bengals could have taken the lead until he stepped in front of uh that intended receiver and went 74 yards. Hey, not a bad way to get some points. Two defensive scorers will take it. Yeah. and that hadn’t happened since 2023. But they’re taking on a team this week who was also very good at taking the ball away. We’ll come back and talk about the Bears, what they do well, and what the Steelers have got to guard against. All coming up as we continue right here live on KDK Plus and Steeler digital platforms. [Music] Our [Music] fans are here. Give us something to cheer about today. The crowd at Acure is so loud. There’s nothing like game day in Pittsburgh. Oh my TJ. This defense is swarming. It is kicked off. Wow, what a catch. Get touchdown Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll see you at Acer Stadium. Here we go. The OOLB package you guys have been using all year seemed to finally pay off with the pick. You got pressure. Mhm. Tell me about that package and the success you had on that play. Yeah. Um I mean it’s no discredit to anybody in the D line room or anybody up front. Um, you know, but sometimes it just want a little more speed, I guess, on the field. Um, and we have a deep outside linebacker room. So, um, I mean, Jack’s having a great rookie year. Um, that kid plays his plays his butt off. Um, and he’s ready whenever his number is called. So, today his number is called and he was able to get out there and run around with us and we’re able to create a lot of pressure out of that package. So, it was awesome. How big of a response game was this for you guys as a unit knowing what happened against this team a couple weeks ago? Um, I mean, you know, we everybody in the building, we know what we’re capable of. Um, we know what we have to do. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it. Um, so, you know, it obviously feels good to get a win, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Nick, what was so much different this time versus Cincinnati? What did you do so much better? Uh, we just played our game, our our brand of football. You know, played Steeler football. We didn’t have the all the turnovers necessarily that uh our culture is like, but you know, we had two touchdowns, which is I mean that’s instrumental, huge in the win. Um you know, and just getting back to our roots, doing what we do um in playing Steeler football. Your block sprung though, didn’t it for the for the final? Man, I just try to do my job, man. Trying to be the best teammate I could be. Get all your Steelers gear direct from the team. Shop this dealers pro shop in store or online for all things black and gold. You can get jerseys, hats, authentic memorabilia, custom gear, and exclusives you can’t find anywhere else. And of course, get the ultimate Steelers game day accessory, the terrible towel. Steelers Nation shops here. Get your gear in store or online at shop.steelers.com. [Music] what I’ve seen from Caleb Williams. Certainly, I hadn’t studied him a lot being a a young guy in this league and an NFC guy, but just really impressed uh with his physical talents. um his ability to throw the football, his his accuracy, his arm strength, um his ability to extend, um his ability to see the full field while doing so, minimizing negativity, um the creativity associated with his escapability and and play extension is is really challenging. All right, that’s Mike Tomlin talking about Caleb Williams, who’s done a very good job uh as the orchestrator of that Chicago offense. This is the first of three really important games for the Steelers. They have Chicago, then it’s Josh Allen, and then it’s Lamar Jackson after that. So, you want to get off to a good start, but this team has been very good at not making it easy on the other teams to take opportunities uh in defensive plays. They have they have possessed the ball. They’ve not turned the ball over. He has only four interceptions, but he does a lot of things with a lot of different receivers. So, they have an offense that’s a tough one to try to diagnose, I think, Missy. Yeah. And I think you know even just this season you said the four interceptions over his entire career only 10 uh so far for Caleb Williams but the way he is able to move um very different in terms of some of the guys the Steelers have seen so far this season and their offense is interesting in terms of you know how Ben Johnson likes to run it uh how they run the ball and when they run the ball but I think for Caleb Williams it’s taking care of the football first and foremost but I think it’s five wins now this season out of their seven that they have come from behind to get um so Clearly, there is something about him. You know, you look at the Chiefs last year felt those one-sore games they always won. This year they’re not winning them for Caleb Williams and the Bears. If it is a close game like that, he is able to battle back, get his offense going and find a way to get points. They have a lot of receivers, DJ Moore, Roma Dunay. They also have Colston Lovelin who made that big play at the end of the Bengals game when he seemingly was going to be untackled. No one wanted to tackle him. He’s a big guy, but man, the Bengals missed that opportunity and that was a high-scoring game. So they hit you with a lot of different things. His mobility does result in running touchdowns. He has three of those on the year to go along with those 13 touchdown passes. Right. And you know, we talked about how coach was saying Will Howard can mimic him in practice. The Steelers go against Lamar Jackson typically two times a year. Not saying they’re the same player, but in terms of mobility, uh knowing how to shut down lanes, keep him in the pocket. That’s something the Steelers uh this won’t be the first time they’ve had to deal with a quarterback that likes to do that. They also have a run game that Ben Johnson uh liked to use in Detroit using two guys. Uh back then it was and it still is Gibbs and Montgomery. The Steelers will see them later in the year. But here uh they have Swift who’s been a really good player for them and the seventh round pick out of Ruters Manungi. You know, he’s not shy about using these guys. So when you have two backs doing the job, they have one of the better running teams in the NFL. Yeah, absolutely. Makes sense. What worked so well in uh Detroit when you were with the Lions, bring it to Chicago, now you’re the head guy. Get to make, you know, some tweaks and whatnot. But it does appear uh to follow kind of the same mode that we saw when he was with the Lions in Detroit. I think too their offensive line uh significantly better this year in terms of the pieces that they have added to keep Caleb clean. Um so it it seems like this is an arrow pointed up type of unit for them as they’re heading into this season and obviously for this game coming up. Uh big for them. They’re leading their division, Steelers leading their division and you know the Ravens unfortunately beat the Browns. watching that game, you were really hoping it went the other way. Um, but it is what it is. The Steelers have a very tough schedule coming up as you pointed out and for the Ravens, I think they have the Jets, then the Bengals. Uh, so it it it will be interesting to see. It always gets to this point where at week 12, which doesn’t seem possible, but the end is near, and you know, that always ends with an AFC North game that will mean something, no doubt. Yeah, and that’s the Ravens in January. And it’s going to come down to those head-to-head meetings. It always seems to do that, which is why it’s important to win these games. They did against Cincinnati. They’ll have the chance against the Ravens coming up. But this Ben Johnson team is interesting is they they do get creative. They like to do different things. I don’t know if I want to use the word gimmick so much, but certainly plays that you don’t expect to see on a regular basis. He tends to use them more than others. Yeah, I think it was against the Bengals. Um they had, you know, somebody throwing a touchdown to Caleb was DJ Mo Philly special version of whatever you want to call it. So, you know, this is not something that’s uncommon to them to make things a little bit different. But I think, you know, when you watch the Lions offense, that’s how it appears to with some of the different things they do. Um, he’s very aggressive on offense in terms of when they go for it, what they do, the play calls. So, this will be, you know, a challenge for the Steelers is not a team that they clearly see very often. And I think, you know, it’s been a while since they’ve also won in Chicago. Yeah, it’s been a long time, but maybe this is the time to do it, which is why probably Aaron Rogers wants to play in this game because he’s had so much success there. So, that breaks down the Bears. When we come back, we’ll talk about some of the defensive things that go on with them and what the Steelers have to do to try to take the ball away from this team that is not willing to give it up. Uh, we’ll get into that. Plus, more injury news concerning Alex Highmith. We’ll talk about that. Jaylen Warren. All coming up right here as we continue with this Tomlin Tuesday. [Music] Get all your Steelers gear direct from the team. Shop this Steelers Pro Shop in store or online for all things black and gold. You can get jerseys, hats, authentic memorabilia, custom gear, and exclusives you can’t find anywhere else. And of course, get the ultimate Steelers game day accessory, the terrible towel. Steelers Nation shops here. Get your gear in store or online at shop.steelers.com. James, uh, why do you think it went so much better against Jason Higgins this time around and what was your role in that? Just waiting. Just constantly just waiting. Just remembering the plays I didn’t make a couple years ago. Just waiting. How about um execution wise? Where do you think you were better today? Just detail, just confidence, just being humble. How about the deep ball that you broke up the pass to uh Jamar there? Can you kind of walk us through that play and how you track that pass? you know, just doing what coaches ask me to do. You know, when coach know when coach tell us what they might do, just be ready for what they might do. And I was ready for what they might do. Seemed like you guys limited the looks, the open opportunities to, I mean, before the ball was even thrown by Flaco. What’ you take away in terms of his eyes as to why they couldn’t get those two guys the ball more often? just coming in week to week like on Monday just knowing like how we was going to go about like the game, how we was going to be moving around just getting different looks. At what point do you decide to play more? Um can’t you know the game is like you know up and down so you know got to keep it we we try to try to stay the same. No, I I mean the flip on the touch. Oh, you talking about the flip? Oh, I don’t even know what I was going to But I just knew I was going to do something. For for a guy like you, you know, had to fight your way into this league. What gives you the confidence when you’re going up against a Mark here like Jamar? Just the guys around me who I’m working with, my coaches just believing in me, put me out there. [Music] Our fans are here. Give them something to cheer about today. The crowd at Acure is so loud. There’s nothing like game day in Pittsburgh. Oh my TJ. This defense is swarming and it’s picked off. Wow, what a catch. Get two. Touchdown Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll see you at Acer Stadium. Here we go. [Music] They covet taking the ball away. They lead the league in takeaways. I think they got 22 on the season. Um DA also prides themsself in good possession down defense. I think they’re second in the league in terms of third down success rate. And I think those two statistics are the catalyst for why um they’re playing really good defense. That’s Mike Tomlin talking about the Bears defense sort of looking in the mirror and seeing the same kind of defense that the Steelers like to play. They give up yards, they’ve given up points, but they also have 22 takeaways and they’ve turned like 70% of those into points. Much like what the Steelers do when they take the ball away. So this is going to be, you know, who wins that category. We stress it every week, Missy, but this week more than any week, it seems to be at the top of the list. Yeah. And I think just the way the Steelers defense has been feasting on those turnovers this year for the Steelers offense. They’ve scored 77 points off of turnovers. That’s the most in the league. Um thanks to the Steelers defense, but for Chicago, they had two against Minnesota. Anytime they have two or more takeaways this season, they’re six and0 right now. Uh so clearly that comes to them very easily. If six of your seven wins, you had two or more takeaways in them. Uh great to see for the Steelers. I think you know Kyle Duggar new to the team. And then for James Pierre, someone who’s not new, but he was stepping into a much larger role to be able to get that to really help finish things off uh in the second half of that game. Obviously not having Aaron Rogers, you didn’t know what this offense was going to look like. They were able to do good things, too. But I think the defense really putting a stamp on this game um in terms of what they did against the Bengals knowing what happened week seven in Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football. Of those 22 takeaways, they have a lot by interception. Kevin Bard has five. You have Tumine Edmonds. Yeah. brother. Yeah. And he he has four of them. He’s played just about every snap for them. So, he’s been and if you can, you know, get those kind of situations um and stay away from them, you’re going to have a chance to do something against this team, which I said has given up points and yards. Uh but on the other side of it, you know, the Steelers have to make sure that they don’t get caught up and throwing the ball loosely around because these guys are ball hawks. They have to make sure they possess it. We saw last week a little bit more time of possession for the Steelers. It would be ideal if they can possess the ball, keep it away from them, uh and don’t turn it over. you have a pretty good chance of the road if you win cuz they haven’t won there in quite some time. Yeah. Not since 1995. The last time the Steelers played in Chicago was 2017. That game did not go well uh for a number of reasons. But yeah, somebody you don’t play often. Um obviously a historic venue going against a historic team, but uh a muchneeded win for the Steelers in terms of, you know, keeping pace and keeping that lead in the AFC North, I think is the biggest thing. Yeah. And Chicago, I guess you would chalk it up as a surprise this year. You know, you’re in a division where you have Minnesota, where you have Detroit. Those two teams were looked at. Minnesota hasn’t lived up to it. Detroit struggles at this point. All of a sudden, this team is right there and they could win a division, which has been a while since they’ve done that. Yeah, absolutely. You have to give credit, you know, to their new regime, new coaching staff, what they’ve been able to do um in a short period of time. and the way that they’ve been playing, as we said, you know, being able to come back from behind these game-winning drives in five of your games, uh, you know, you’re lucky if that maybe happens once or twice a season, but to do it that often, uh, says something about how they operate. Yeah, you’ll see them ball hawking, making plays like this one in the end zone here, intercepting JJ McCarthy. Um, you know, whoever’s a quarterback for the Steelers, whether it be Rogers or Mason Rudolph, uh, they got to be aware of that. On the other side, I still, you know, the Steelers have an aggressive pass rush. They want to get after it. You saw some of the earlier clips with Williams. If he gets to the outside, he could spin away from it very easily and turn that into a big positive play. So Mike Tylen talks about keeping your gaps sound. If you don’t do that in this game, he’s going to have success, I think. Yeah, because of Caleb Williams and their run game, but I think too, Alex Highmith, he missed that game against the Bengals with a pec injury. Should be limited to start this week. Hopefully, he’s able to get back and then you have, you know, four healthy outside linebackers and also Jaylen Warren. someone else we’ll have to watch. Had an ankle injury in game. He didn’t really return much in the second half. Kenny Gainwell kind of took over uh in terms of what he was able to do. So, but you still want to have those two guys if you can when you head to Chicago. Yeah, Gainwell with a two touchdown performance last week. A big lift for the Steelers in the backfield. When we come back, we’re going to talk about one of the best angry runs you’ll ever see and it happened here at Aasher Stadium. That’s next right here on Tomlin Tuesday. [Music] Our [Music] fans are here. Give us something to cheer about today. The crowd at Acure is so loud. There’s nothing like game day in Pittsburgh. Oh my TJ. This defense is swarming. It is kicked off. Wow, what a catch. Get two. Touchdown Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll see you at Acer Stadium. Here we go. Um, execute our best when we needed it. So, everybody talks about how much of a jokester he is. Was he keeping it light out there or was he more like, “Oh, I wasn’t expecting to play.” He was a little bit more serious than usual than than usual, but u Yeah. Troy, what uh, you know, did you know was going on with Aaron there at the end of the half? No, I have no clue what happened, but um two came in and did the best he could and we won the game. So, it’s all that matters. You’re going to have to talk to somebody else about the injury report. I don’t Well, no. I just like in the like like did you notice that like dur during that drive that was it bothering him or Yeah, obviously he got up. He’s holding his wrist or whatever his hand. Um it’s not a good sight to see as an offensive lineman when your quarterback’s down like that, but um had to move on quick. Um, and we executed when we need to, we won a game. So, just understanding the offense. I think the biggest thing is like just understanding what they run. Um, just knowing every time that something happened, we not dying. Like it’s it’s football. Plays going to happen. Um, just regroup, refocus, and go go at the next one. Patrick, what was the difference this time around? How were you guys able to shut down their offense? Uh, just us playing football, understanding what they do, um, the detail in the work throughout the week. Um, not being robots, understanding what they run, certain downs, certain distances, certain formations. Um, just making plays. Doug Rumbles had an interception I think a little earlier in the game and it seemed like that was kind of the turning point really for you guys, wasn’t it? Yeah. Um, you know, that’s a hell of a player. He’s a smart player. Um, just like a lot of guys on defense. So, um, when we got players like that, we got to capitalize on them, but at the same time, that do fuel us the whole entire team. Get all your Steelers gear direct from the team. Shop the Steelers Pro Shop in store or online for all things black and gold. You can get jerseys, hats, authentic memorabilia, custom gear, and exclusives you can’t find anywhere else. And of course, get the ultimate Steelers game day accessory, the Terrible Towel. Steelers Nation shops here. Get your gear in store or online at shop.steelers.com. [Music] All right, welcome back. Bob Pompiano, Missy Matthews wrapping it up. And we saw something this week that uh made the NFL Network’s angry run of the week. We’ve seen a lot of them over the years, but this one tops the list. Darnell Washington moving around, knocking people over. three in one run just like pinballs. Uh and you almost thought like does anybody else really want to try to tackle him because it’s not going to end well. Uh he’s just such a large human being. You see the reaction from the Steelers sideline. Coach Tomlin even said not just for the offense uh to get those guys energized. Some of the coaches I think were being pulled back cuz they were just so pumped after that play. You could see everybody, even Will Howard’s running with him. Um and just incredible what he’s able to do and what he has added to this offense this season. We saw Vance McDonald stiff armed down in Tampa. It was very good. It led to a touchdown, but to me still bet us over Erlacer given the stakes was the best angry run I’ve seen. Naji Harris has had some, but that’s going to be probably at the top of our list, I bet. I think it’s how many guys he took down, you know, in one run that really solid. And later in the game on a game first down catch, you saw him plow two guys over in the blocking game. The guy can do it all. He certainly can. We’re glad he’s on the Steelers offense. Absolutely. All right, that’s going to wrap it up for us. We’ll see you again next week. This week it’s the Steelers and the Bears. 1:00 Sunday afternoon, we’ll have it for you on KDK. We’ll see you next week in advance of the Buffalo Bills. For Missy Matthews, I’m Bob Pompani. Have a great week. [Music]

Coach Tomlin addresses the media ahead of our Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.

#PITvsCHI 11/23 at 1 PM ET on CBS

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