Steelers' Mike Tomlin Detailed The Problem With Expecting Turnovers From Minkah Fitzpatrick

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals have a long history of trash talk in their AFC North rivalry. Pittsburgh has been far more successful as a franchise than Cincinnati, and at times, the Bengals have let their frustration get the best of them. Who can forget TJ Houshmandzadeh and the Terrible Towel incident? The biggest trash talker in recent years has been wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. In the season opener in 2022, he got a lot of attention for giving Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick a very impolite hand gesture in the form of a double bird. The Steelers won that game in overtime, 23-20. 

Now, the two teams are gearing up to play their first game against each other in the 2024 season, and Chase has already been back at it. While he didn't name Fitzpatrick specifically, he said he isn't worried about the Steelers' defense getting any interceptions because they have just gotten lucky. 

It's fair to say Fitzpatrick hasn't been the splashy play-maker that he has been in the past. He has historically done well against the Bengals. Fitzpatrick intercepted Joe Burrow's first pass back in that same season opener in 2022. 

The topic of why Fitzpatrick hasn't had an interception since the end of the 2022 season has been hot in recent weeks. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was recently asked about it during his Keys To The Game segment with Bob Pompeani. He asked Tomlin why Fitzpatrick's numbers have been down and if it is a product of where or how he plays, and if he wants to see him get more involved.

"Certainly, we're interested in taking the ball away, and he's a key component of that, but sometimes you're not afforded the opportunity; people have other agendas," Tomlin explained. "So it's probably a little bit of all of the above, but the play you mentioned (the 2022 interception) was like the second play of the game. We need all of those plays. Probably a more significant play was that sack fumble by Arthur Maulet late [in overtime]. That's what I mean, when you play Joe [Burrow], you better make plays throughout, but you better be ready to make plays in the waning moments of the game if you expect to get out of the stadium with a victory."

Opponents are scheming to limit the impact of some of Pittsburgh's biggest play-makers, including Fitzpatrick and TJ Watt. However, this could also be part of the defensive plan. Recently, several Steelers reporters were on a panel with Pompeani, and he asked them about Fitzpatrick. 

They all agreed that the Steelers aren't worried that he isn't racking up stats because the team is 8-3. The team is performing at a higher level than many expected, and Fitzpatrick is helping create turnovers even if he isn't hauling in interceptions directly. 

The Bengals are only 4-7 through the first 12 weeks of the season, but their record is misleading. They are a far more dangerous team than they appear. Burrow and Chase have been heating up since the season began, even if they aren't winning all their games. The defense must control them, and the offense has to put points on the board. 

Steelers Defense Has More To Show

Despite having the highest-paid defense in the league, the Steelers have struggled to stop their opponents a few times this year. In the recent loss to the Cleveland Browns, fans wondered how Pittsburgh lost to an offensive line as bad as Cleveland's.

In fact, the Steelers have lost all three games to teams below .500 this season. However, that streak will not continue, according to Chris Carter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He recently said that he believes they have been holding some tricks up their sleeves, waiting for the tough stretch of the season, and will begin to show more against the Bengals.  

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