The Pittsburgh Steelers and Steeler Nation have all been searching for answers as to why the team performed so poorly against the Houston Texans. The front seven on defense could not get a sack against CJ Stroud and they let a depleted offensive line push them around, opening holes for Dameon Pierce. Meanwhile, the Steelers offensive line continued to struggle, although they were able to open the run game up a bit. Head Coach Mike Tomlin addressed the lack of physicality right off the bat during his press conference on Tuesday.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / x: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has high expectations for both his 2023 offense and defense.
Why Weren't The Steelers Physical In Week 4?
Tomlin talked about how the Texans were much more physical overall to start off his press conference. He immediately answered the question that he caused, but he refused to hand out any sort of accountability and made excuses for his team.
"The last couple of weeks, due to a variety of circumstances, short weeks due to Monday Night Football, short weeks due to travel adjustments, etc., we've been in helmets in preparation."
If these were Thursday night games, the short week excuse could fly, but with the first short week being due to Monday Night Football, there was no reason why they could not have practiced hard. There was no reason why they could not have gone in full pads. On the week of Thursday Night Football, there is no time to practice. For the week after Monday Night Football, there are two days where you can go in full pads and have a full practice while still giving players the rest they need.
Steelers.com
Mike Tomlin Press Conference
That wasn't even his worst excuse of that sentence. The flight delay forced them to not get into pads? Sure, the constant chaos might have made the team sleep deprived for one night, but you still have three full days to practice. You can still go in pads, even if you decide to wait until Thursday. Teams don't normally practice the day after a game (Monday), and they go very light the next day (Tuesday), if at all.
In the postgame press conference on Sunday, Tomlin said that there would be big changes coming. This is apparently the big change. It doesn't take a genius to know that practicing in pads is better than practicing in just a helmet. Coaches always talk about adapting and adjusting, and Tomlin just revealed to the world that he either can't or won't do either of those.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter / x)
Head Coach Mike Tomlin will have his most talented Steelers squad in years, as the front office rejuvenated the roster this offseason.
With the Steelers finally going into pads for Week 5, the expectations will be that the offensive line and defensive line will actually get some penetration. A practice squad offensive line with Kendrick Green and other backups should not have bullied the defensive line the way it did in Week 4 against the Texans. With the Baltimore Ravens coming to town this week, we will see if the Steelers truly upped the physicality of their practices, or if Tomlin continued to give his standard lip service.
What do you think about Mike Tomlin making excuses to cover up his team's terrible performance against the Texans last Sunday? Let us know in the comments down below.
#SteelerNation
