Steelers' Patrick Peterson Credits Mike Tomlin's Football Genuis For Accurate Play Prediction

The Pittsburgh Steelers found victory during Week 3 against their longtime rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, 23-18. The Steelers are now 2-1 and in the lead of the AFC North. This contest, while far from perfect, showed improvements in all three phases of the game. This was a relief after a Week 2 victory over the Cleveland Browns that felt like it was entirely owed to the defense. 

One of the Steelers' newest defensive acquisitions, Patrick Peterson, recently spoke about the game. While Peterson acknowledged that the defense looks good, they still have areas they need to work on such as communication. However, according to Peterson, they have a secret weapon, Head Coach Mike Tomlin. 

Steelers' Patrick Peterson Said Mike Tomlin Used His Spidey Sense

The Steelers have struggled offensively during the first two games of the season and had to rely heavily on the defense to try to keep them in the game. After going three and out on their first two possessions, things got concerning when Las Vegas' offense seemed to come to life. 

Peterson said on his podcast All Things Covered, which he co-hosts with his cousin, former Steelers cornerback, Bryant McFadden, that the touchdown Vegas got on their second possession was his fault. The Raiders were driving when Minkah Fitzpatrick caused running back Josh Jacobs to fumble the ball which was then recovered by T.J. Watt. After the officials reviewed the turnover, they ruled Jacobs down by contact and gave them the ball back. 

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was faced with a 4th-and-1 decision. He ended up throwing a deep ball to Davante Adams for 32 yards and a touchdown. Peterson said they had anticipated the aggressive play-calling by Head Coach Josh McDaniels, but unfortunately, he lost track of the ball and wasn't able to break it up.    

"We were in one of our big packages where it was only two corners, one safety. We were expecting the pass because we've seen that these guys when they're at the logo area, or anywhere between the 50-yard line and the 30-yard line, take shots."

McFadden said the Raiders do like to take shots, employ trick plays, and use lateral play to confuse the defense. He was curious how Peterson was so confident of the play call, wondering if it came simply from film study or something else. Peterson said that Coach Tomlin told them all it would happen and he took it to heart.   

Peterson is now in his 13th season in the NFL. He spent the first 10 years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals after they drafted him in the first round in 2011. Then he went to the Minnesota Vikings for a couple of years before the Steelers picked him up in free agency during the offseason. 

During his time in the NFL, Peterson has made a name for himself. He is a three-time First Team All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler. The Steelers needed a veteran presence in their cornerback group and a mentor for rookie Joey Porter Jr. They found both in Peterson. Peterson told McFadden that he is really buying into the "Steelers Way" and believes that this team has so much potential. A big part of why he loves being a part of it is Tomlin. He shared that Tomlin has a knack for knowing what the offense will do and shares that insight with his players, making him a solid extra weapon. 

"Coach is just so smart, Coach is just always on top of the game and I'll never forget. He was like, 'Fourth and one, I can't see them running the ball and them getting stoned, and then here come the boo birds. So what I see is them doing on the first fourth down is try to get out to the flat, maybe take a shot. They don't want to get stoned in a run play.' We stoned so many people on fourth and one."

Peterson added that he was blown away when sure enough the Raiders came out on their first fourth down play and took a shot. He added that the defense knew and they were in position to make the play, but he lost the ball in the glare from the lights at the last second.  

Communication is definitely improving with the defense said Peterson because he and teammate Fitzpatrick knew they would have to be synced up to make the play work. One of the Raiders' biggest weapons is receiver Jakobi Meyers because he helps carry the run game. Peterson said he is dangerous because he blocks well and also throws out fake blocks that confuse the defense. He and Fitzpatrick discussed how to handle this situation if it arose after the tip-off from Tomlin. 

"You gotta kind of keep your eye on him a little bit longer because we was getting that play in practice and Mink [Minkah Fitzpatrick] was like, 'I don't think I'm gonna be able to see that play that quick because I'm looking at the backfield and he's kind of jogging. We both gotta be on the same page.' So I had to carry him just a bit longer to make sure Nick [Herbig] saw him."

The excellent communication by the defense led to Peterson being in a great position. He said he just could not see the ball when he turned around to make a play. He gave a lot of credit to Garoppolo, Adams and their coaches as well for engineering such an incredible/gutsy play. Fortunately for Peterson and the Steelers, he made up for that missed interception by snatching one in the middle of the third quarter. The Steelers were able to convert that turnover into a touchdown.   

The Steelers and Raiders have a long tradition of staging epic, nail-biting battles. They have met 32 times, six of those in the postseason, and are closely matched. The Raiders just slightly edge out Pittsburgh having won 17 games to the Steelers 15. This was the first time the Steelers have traveled to Vegas to play them since the team moved from Oakland. It also secured the Steelers' first road win against the Raiders since 1995, even if the stadium appeared to have more gold than silver with the black. 

What do you think about Peterson's play so far this season? Is he living up to your expectations? How do you see the defense performing for the rest of the season? Click to comment below.

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