Steelers' "Collective Mentality" Allowed Head Coach Mike Tomlin To Never Feel A Lack Of Belief During Week 10 Amid Huge Deficit

The Pittsburgh Steelers won their biggest game of the season against the Washington Commanders in Week 10, 28-27. It has felt like the goalposts have moved around on the team this season, with each week being called their "biggest challenge." They heard it before they played the New York Jets and the New York Giants, but Russell Wilson and the team have managed to win each showing. 

Now that they head into Week 11 and are getting set to face the Baltimore Ravens, they really are facing their toughest opponent of the season. The Steelers could face a similar style of close game as they did against the Commanders. It is even possible they could get down again during the game and have to fight their way back. While fans might have been nervous wrecks, Head Coach Mike Tomlin said he wasn't. He spoke with the media for his regular Tuesday press conference and said he never lost faith.   

"But largely, I just loved the collective mentality of the group, the fight displayed, the way that they were engaged and locked in, really unflinching throughout," praised Tomlin. "It was a close ballgame, obviously at one point we were down by 10, but I never felt a lack of belief or a lack of focus, individually or collectively. Guys realize how you get out of those circumstances is to make plays, it's the same thing really that puts you in those circumstances, the lack of play-making or strategy at times, because coaching is a component of it as well."

The Steelers and the Commanders both started the game with a punt, but after that, things got interesting. On their second possession, Pittsburgh managed to score, but then chose to fake the punt near the end of the first quarter. Unfortunately, that failed, but Tomlin remained aggressive throughout the game, and the team never quit fighting. 

That "collective mentality" Tomlin mentions was evident while watching the game. In the past, when a team has managed to mount a comeback, it seems like one player, often the quarterback, gets credit for making that happen. That wasn't the case here; it felt like every player on the roster got involved. New wide receiver Mike Williams even caught the game-winning touchdown pass. 

The Steelers will need that same mentality to beat Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. The Ravens are widely considered to have the best offense in football, and Jackson is an early favorite for his third MVP Award. The Steelers have the most expensive defense in the league, and they will have to show up in Acrisure Stadium if they want to slow down this high-powered group. 

Do The Steelers Have A Whole New Mike Tomlin?

He might have looked like the same Coach Tomlin on the sideline of the Commanders game, but some of his decisions have the media wondering if he is turning over a new leaf. Have the Steelers found a new, more aggressive Tomlin than the one they are used to? 

It started with the outlandish decision to receive when they won the coin toss. Usually, teams defer so they receive the ball first in the second half. Then they went for the fake punt, and at the end of the game, he seemed to be going for it on fourth down. While younger players indicated after the game that they were never going for it, Tomlin and Wilson dismissed those comments, saying they wouldn't tell. 

Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show said Tomlin is almost like Seinfeld's George Constanza and is doing the opposite of what he usually does. He thinks Tomlin must continue on this path if the Steelers want to beat the Ravens on Sunday. 

Did you lose faith during the Commanders game? Click to comment below. 

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