Steelers' Mike Tomlin Was Terrified Of Throwing The Ball Against The Cincinnati Bengals

As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for their Wild Card matchup on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, there is still many unanswered questions surrounding this team. The Steelers have gone 0-4 in their last four games, struggling to find the end zone as they have not scored more than 17 points in any of those contests. Most of the fan base is in full panic mode and starting to accept the possibility of another early exit in the playoffs. The offense hasn't helped bring the faith back and in their season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, it's hard to understand how a team could go from scoring 44 points one week, but only put up 17 at home against the same opponent weeks later.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke with the media before the Steelers' Wild Card playoff matchup and he was asked about the decision of running the ball as much they did against the Bengals -- even though they rank near the bottom in the league when it comes to yards per attempt. Tomlin defended their gameplan, saying they were playing to their strengths and there is less risk running the ball compared to airing it out.

"You know, for us, it's about playing to a personality that we prescribe to engineer victory, to possess the ball, and a component of possessing the ball is not only time, but managing risk and obviously, there's less risk with running the football than throwing it, and sometimes that's the component of this discussion as well," explained Tomlin.

The expression of beating a dead horse seemed to not be in Tomlin's book of metaphors because when something doesn't work, it's time to find something that does. The Steelers averaged just 3.2 yards per carry in their Week 18 loss, not an average that screams victory. While the Steelers love the grittiness and toughness of running the ball down someone's throat, that wasn't the formula that brought them to a win on the road against the Bengals earlier this season.

Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren could not get anything going in Week 18, with Harris having 36 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown and Warren posting just 21 yards on six carries. The offensive line looked overwhelmed, which has been the case for the last few weeks. Just another reason why it was head scratching that Tomlin and the staff were dead set on moving the ball on the ground.

The Steelers have to put together a better gameplan against the Ravens if they want this season to end with some type of positive outlook. Tomlin and Arthur Smith need to figure out something that can get this offense going early. They haven't had an opening touchdown drive at all this season. Whether that means letting Russell Wilson air it out early, or finding ways to get the ball into George Pickens' hands, they can't come out as they have like the last four games.

Steelers' Offense Has To Turn It Around If They Want To Steal A Playoff Win In Baltimore

The Steelers' offensive woes can't continue to hinder them. They need to be almost perfect if they want to beat a red hot Ravens team on the road. The Steelers have been a mess this last month, from players calling each other out, to other off the field drama. This isn't how Tomlin had planned this season to go throughout the back half of the 2024 campaign.

All of those problems are solved with a win though, winning cures everything. Pittsburgh has an uphill battle to fight in the playoffs, but if the offense can go back to what has been working for them in the past -- then we could see a true AFC North battle on Wild Card weekend.

What are your thoughts on Tomlin's comments? Do you think the offense can find ways to score more consistently in Baltimore? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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