Steelers' Mike Tomlin Praises Unlikely Hero In Big Divisional Win

The Pittsburgh Steelers got a key divisional win in Week 13 as they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in an absolute barn burner of a game. Every piece of the Steelers' offense was clicking as 44 points were put up on the scoreboard. After quarterback Russell Wilson gave up an interception for a touchdown, the rest of the game was almost perfect offensively. Wilson connected with 10 different receivers in the air as he had one of the greatest performances of his long career. There is plenty of praise to go around for the offense, and especially for Wilson. 

During his postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the production of Cordarrelle Patterson in the early portion of the game. Tomlin praised the team overall for how well they did, but he specifically called out an unusual suspect for his great play.

"Thankful for [Cordarrelle Patterson's] efforts, but you don't get out of stadiums like this without a total team effort. Everybody in helmets -- Ben Skowronek -- I mean everybody made plays, and I'm appreciative."

It was such a low-key mention too, but everyone did their job in this win, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Even though Patterson did well with 53 total yards from scrimmage, many seemed like stars at one point. Tomlin did not have time to praise every single player on that unit, but he chose to single out Ben Skowronek. 

On the Steelers' second drive in the second half, Wilson found Skowronek on the seam for a 23-yard catch-and-run, which set them up at the Bengals' 30-yard line. Two plays later, Wilson hit Pat Freiermuth for a 25-yard score to extend the lead to 34-24. Even though Skowronek did not pop up on the stat sheet before or after that play, he can still hold his head up high, knowing that he can be a reliable receiver when needed. He also was successful blocking downfield several different times.

Other Steelers' Backups Deserve Some Praise Too

Tomlin named Patterson and Skowronek specifically, but as he mentioned, everyone who wore a helmet contributed in some way. Starting at the end of the contest, Justin Fields called game with a seven-yard run on a read option. That play gave the Steelers a first down and allowed Wilson to kneel down the rest of the clock. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers made splash play after splash play. Payton Wilson continues to prove every week that he is built for Steelers' football. He made a key play in the fourth quarter when Nick Herbig stripped the ball out of Joe Burrow's hands, and he took it to the house for his first career touchdown. 

Speaking of fumbles, the newly-acquired Preston Smith recovered a fumble of his own after TJ Watt got a strip sack. The Steelers turned that fumble into a field goal to give them a 24-21 lead, and they never looked back after that. Who knows how the game would have gone if Watt didn't force the fumble, and Smith didn't hold on to it?

Despite all the praise being dished out, the Steelers' work is not even close to being done. Defensively they were a mess overall. When they were not creating splash plays, they were letting the Bengals' offense run all over them for a total of 375 yards. If they want to win most of these games in the gauntlet, they can't just rely on three amazing defensive plays to do the trick. They have to do the little things right.

At very least, there is one fact that brings the Steelers comfort: they can win the shootouts. For many years, it would almost be an automatic loss if they gave up more than 21 points in a game. They gave up 38 and won. The Steelers finally have an offense, and they have a quarterback for the first time since 2021.

What do you think about Tomlin praising Skowronek? Let us know in the comments.

#SteelerNation