Steelers Players Able To Seize Opportunity To Improve And Asked For Extra Time On The Field To Air Grievances

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off an ugly three-game skid as they spent their snowy Thursday practicing at UPMC Sports Complex and preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals to come to town on Saturday. Over the past couple of weeks as the Steelers lost game after game, there were numerous suppositions thrown out about how and why this once 10-3 team seemed to fall apart. The national media resorted to calling Pittsburgh frauds after previously suggesting they could be Super Bowl contenders. Many of the fans blamed their favorite target, Head Coach Mike Tomlin, but players seemed to be pointing fingers at one another.

Tomlin said that he called the players together for a meeting after the Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and they cleared the air. They looked specifically at the losses to the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as as current trends in their overall performances. The players also said that the meeting gave them an opportunity to dispel any negativity and focus on working together. Tomlin said he was happy with what he saw when the players returned the following week both physically and mentally.

Now, the team is focused on solutions. They have already made the playoffs, but the Week 18 game against the Bengals feels like it has a psychological component to it, and they need to do well to shift their mindset. Jeff Hawthorn, the Sports Director for 93.7 The Fan, joined the Pomp and Joe Show and said that it isn't just the coaches that are pushing this improved mindset; the players are as well. He said they did a little extra practice on Thursday. 

"I think they've done what they wanted to do this week," said Hawthorn. "Like I said, they were a little later today; they had some extra practice. They had some extra time on the field together, called for by the players. They kind of aired out the grievances. It seemed like there was more communication in practice or louder communication in practice, all those things you want to hear."

Hawthorn believes this was the team addressing those communication breakdowns they kept referencing. He thinks if they are to have a shot against Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase on Saturday, this coming together needed to happen. The Bengals have been ascending while the Steelers have been descending. They have won their past four games. Their last loss was against Pittsburgh at the beginning of December. 

While the Steelers may have secured a playoff berth, the Bengals are still in the hunt. They need to beat the Steelers and get some help from some other AFC teams in the form of losses. 

Steelers Need To Show Resiliency Against Bengals To Be Ready For Playoffs

Hawthorn said that the other thing he needs to see in this game against the Bengals is some resiliency from the Steelers, particularly on the defense. Hawthorn said it is nearly impossible to shut Burrow out completely. The Steelers' Week 13 win over the Bengals came in the form of a 44-38 shootout, almost unheard of in the AFC North.

In the recent losses, the Steelers' defense tended to play hero ball, which created a "cycle of errors." Instead of coming together, they scattered, forgot everything they had been told, and tried to make plays on their own. To win this time, Hawthorn said they need to return to what they were doing earlier this season, stay in position, be where they are supposed to be, trust the guy next to them, and communicate. 

How do you think the Steelers will do against the Bengals? Do you think extra practice time will help? Let us know your thoughts and comment below!

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