Steelers' Mike Tomlin Provides Big-Time Bulletin Board Material For Cincinnati Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had plenty of time to gear up to face the Cincinnati Bengals to kick off December football. However, the Bengals have had some time of their own. While the Steelers had a mini bye week after playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 12, Cincinnati had a full bye. Both teams should be well-rested and well-prepared to face each other, especially with what they have to fight for. The 8-3 Steelers are looking to keep control of the AFC North, while the 4-7 Bengals have their whole season on the line. 

While doing his usual breakdowns on The Mike Tomlin Show, Head Coach Mike Tomlin may have helped the Bengals out a little bit. Whether he dropped a truth bomb or not could be up for debate, but the team likely won't take kindly to his subtle jab at them. 

"[The Cincinnati Bengals] are a good football team, but like Bill Parcells says, 'you are what your record says you are,'" Tomlin said. "They haven't won the close ones, but I doubt that has affected their feeling about themselves. They got some talented players. They just hadn't made some plays in some waning moments, really kind of in all three phases."

The Bengals definitely have not made life very easy on themselves, and every little mistake they make tends to stack up and lead to a close loss. Six of their seven defeats have been by one possession, as opposed to just two wins by that same margin. Even then, they usually lose these games in the final few minutes, as Tomlin said. 

In their Week 2 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, they held a slim 25-23 lead in the game's final seconds, but a brutal pass interference penalty put the Chiefs in field goal range, and Kansas City won at the buzzer. On two separate occasions, the Bengals got into a shootout with the Baltimore Ravens. Both games ended thanks to a heartbreaking mistake: an interception in the first contest at Cincinnati, then a failed game-winning two-point conversion attempt in Baltimore.

There are more examples of the Bengals making backbreaking blunders to cost themselves a win throughout the 2024 season, but at the end of the day, it just proves Tomlin's point. They have all kinds of talent in all three phases, especially on offense, but they just fail in the worst possible moments.

That is an indictment on Head Coach Zac Taylor. His team has all the talent in the world, they are usually prepared for their opponents, but when it comes down to the biggest possessions, they can't find ways to win. Tomlin is always harping on doing the little things right. Taylor might want to take notes if he wants to save his job. 

Steelers Need To Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is In Week 13

Even with the Steelers' great season so far, this is no automatic game for them. On top of that, they have a history of overlooking and not preparing for weaker opponents. They even allegedly fell for that trap the week before, as Greg Newsome II accused the Steelers of having no respect for his Cleveland Browns. 

If Tomlin makes that same mistake again, the Bengals will feast on Pittsburgh's weaknesses. Yes, they are what their record says they are, but that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. They are still insanely talented, and they are fighting for their lives. While a loss to the Steelers won't officially end their season, it makes it so a perfect stretch of games on won't be enough to make the playoffs on their own.

With that in mind, plus the fact that Tomlin subtly said that they are actually not a good team despite the talent on the team, the Bengals will be ready to play. What better way would there be to prove yourself as a true threat than to go up against the division leader and punch them in the mouth? 

What do you think about Tomlin quoting Bill Parcells to say that the Bengals may not be a great team collectively? Let us know in the comments.

#SteelerNation