Steelers' Mike Tomlin Not Pleased With Pressley Harvin's Poor Punting In Opening Loss

The results were ugly for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. That went for essentially everyone, even the special teams unit. One of them specifically was the punting situation, something the team had to use often due to the offense’s struggles. The team wanted to figure out the past issues this summer, as former draft pick Pressley Harvin III and Braden Mann battled it out in a months-long competition.

Harvin struggled in his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, but he showed more consistency throughout the summer. As a result, he won the competition over Mann. Well, one week in, and things didn’t look much better for the Georgia Tech product. In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin specifically addressed Sunday’s struggles in the punting game.

"I didn't think we did a good enough job of punting the football. I thought that was a component early, the field position. On their [49ers] first two scores, they were on short fields. If your net punting isn't good, chances are, your opponent's gonna be on short field. When they're on short fields, it drives up the propensity to score. I'd be remise if I didn't talk about that component of the game. [It] was a significant let down for us," Tomlin said on Tuesday.

The leash seems to already be short for Harvin, and that was already clear when they brought in Mann back in April. In the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Harvin averaged just 42.3 yards per punt across six total tries. Unfortunately, he landed just one of his punts inside the 20-yard line. After a quick three-and-out to begin the game, Harvin was brought onto the field.

He proceeded to hit a 34-yard punt, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 46-yard line. That was just one of a few examples of his poor efforts in the loss. It's a reoccurring theme for him, as he has had the same issues in the past. While he showed improvements in 2022, that still wasn't enough for him to be considered above-average at his important position.

Will The Steelers Move On From Harvin In 2023?

This isn't the first time that Tomlin has called out his special teams unit. He did just that last year with Danny Smith, who has headed Pittsburgh's special teams unit for 10 years now. Now, Harvin's job isn't in jeopardy for the upcoming Monday Night Football contest against the Cleveland Browns. A few more poor performances though, and his seat will be hot. It's important to note that Mann is still a free agent. 

If the team did want to eventually move on from Harvin, it would make some sense to bring back Mann. Another name to watch? Jordan Berry. Like Mann, he remains a free agent after Week 1. Also similarly, he spent time with the Steelers from 2015-2020. Berry then spent the 2021 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings, but hasn't played since. The Steelers did sign him to their practice squad last season when Harvin was dealing with a minor injury.

If Harvin continues to struggle, how much longer would you give him before moving on? Should the team consider bringing back Mann? Why do you think Harvin struggles so much with consistency? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!

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