"Those division games are always big time games, particularly for us against the Bangles."Did Mike Tomlin just call the Bengals, the Bangles? Maybe he meant to say Bungles, or Bingals, but the Bangles, that's a new one. You mean like the group of chicks from the 80's who sang "Walk Like An Egyptian?" I mean I guess if he's calling the Bungles a bunch of chicks with crazy hair and intentionally too much makeup, then I'm all for it. Ok, so this is more than likely just a typo (not mine, from the story - see link for yourself), but it'd be a whole lot funnier if it wasn't.
- Mike Tomlin
Ah but on to the real purpose of this post - to provide you all with some of the highlights of Tomlin's Tuesday press conference. I don't often pay much attention to these because the questions often tend to center around one topic that I often may or may not give two shits about (not to say that I never do though), but since I was bored at work and needed some blog fodder, I took a look at the PG's video (Highlight - Ed Bouchette's cell phone ringing 30 seconds into the conference) and read over some of the recaps out there (see below).
What I gained was a complete reaffirmation in my belief that Mike Tomlin is supremely wise and equally bad ass.
His thoughts followed by mine on some of the media's questions are below (in no particular order):
Q - Would you suggest an artificial turf?
Tomlin: We have to look at those options and we will. I’m not concerned about it right now. The field we have is the field that we have.Q - Do you believe the field is a great equalizer?
Cotter: As Coach Tomlin implied, this ain't gardening, it's football. The condition of the field will not affect our preparation and you guys asking about it non-stop isn't going to make the situation better any quicker. Next question.
Tomlin: I try not to dwell on things we can not control, weather and field conditions being one of them...Your ability to deal with the unforeseen and your ability to deal with adversity defines you. How it’s created is irrelevant...Thankfully we were good enough last night to get a win.Q - What is the prognosis for the field?
Cotter: I'm sorry, is this a different question? I'm confused...
Tomlin: You guys are really chewing on this field situation. It is football, man. It is an outdoor game....It created some adversity. We overcame it and found a way to win the game and we move on.Q - Do you change the way you game plan for a game based on field conditions?
Cotter: Field Conditions? Are we talking about Field Conditions? You know what, I'm just going to throw out another topic, and you guys let me know if you're into it - we have a game on Sunday against the Bengals...
Tomlin: No.Annnnnnnnnd, end scene!
Cotter: Banana Hammock.
Ok, that might have been a little TOO sarcastic and maybe a bit overdone, but I do it all in jest. Field conditions of course are important, as evidenced on Monday night, and the media is right to probe Tomlin for information. Consequently, I'm sure you'll all be interested to know that the players are lobbying to keep the Heinz Field grass, despite pressure to install artificial turf resulting from the other nights insanity...
That aside, some of Tomlin's more interesting/insightful comments were:
Q - You seemed to throw the ball more on the last drive that you scored on.
"We have a lot of belief in what Ben (Roethlisberger) is capable of in our no-huddle attack. Just because we go no-huddle doesn’t mean we are going to be pass happy. We generally have the belief that we are going to take what the defense is giving us...We have to be able to do a lot of things well if we want to move the ball well and be successful..."Q - What do you think of Najeh as a short-yardage running back?
"He is one of the best in the league. His resume confirms that. I think that is the first time he has been stopped on a third-and-one all year...We look forward to getting him back on track in that area as we move forward this week."Q - How difficult is it to stay fresh at this time of year?
"A lot of time people see the glass as half empty. I view it as half full. We are who we are. Maybe some of our weaknesses are evident, as is our opponents. The team that minimizes theirs and attacks the weaknesses of others has a chance to win. That is what we intend to do. Make no bones about that."Q - Do you feel like the team is improving?
"I think we are. A lot of times it doesn’t show up enough on the scoreboard. It needs to show up enough on the scoreboard for you to win...I do believe we are capable of playing great situational football offensively; third-down, red zone and things that will be critical to us winning close games as we continue to move forward...We are starting to develop a personality and sure up some things on special teams...We are going to need every man and guys are getting valuable experience and showing that they are capable of making plays. As we move forward into December, everybody has to be capable of winning a football game for you and feel the gravity of that."
Now, MY thoughts on these topics go kind of like this:
Q - You seemed to throw the ball more on the last drive that you scored on.
I guess you could say that. We tried 3 run plays and 5 pass plays. So I actually think it was as balanced as we had been all night. The only difference being that we were actually executing a [relatively] successful drive and it resulted in 3 points.Q - What do you think of Najeh as a short-yardage running back?
I'm not sold on him. I know Tomlin has a lot of faith in him but by my estimation he just hasn't been consistent enough running the ball or blocking. I think when we hand him the ball on 3rd and 1 and we need that 1st down, he better get it. The swing passes he gets every now and then are nice. They seem to work out well. But Willie Parker is meant to do the heavy lifting in our running game. All we ask of Najeh is to get the tough yardage on 3rd and/or 4th down. He needs to come through in those situations...more often than not.Q - How difficult is it to stay fresh at this time of year?
Fortunately the Steelers have a lot of depth, which UNfortunately has played a decent sized role this season. I think Anthony Smith has done a great job filling in for Ryan Clark, and is developing well. I don't like his arrogance at times. I think someone might need to explain a little sportsmanship to him. But as a player, he hits like a ton of bricks and is tackling very well. Also, Tyrone Carter and Max Starks stepped up HUGE against the Dolphins, Lamar Woodley when healthy has contributed, Nate Washington and Cedrick Wilson have filled in nicely a couple of times, and even Willie Reid got into the game Monday, netting a much needed 1st down. So it's obviously tough, as we've seen with the rash of injuries all around the league this season. But fortunately we have the understudies to allow our starters to get healthy without having to rush them back.Q - Do you feel like the team is improving?
Of course. We've had some set backs (See: Jets). But overall, the team has improved greatly over last season and I think we'll see as the weeks roll on, they will step up in the clutch and get the wins we need to clinch a playoff spot. There are still some points of contention, as there often are, Offensive line isn't what I'd call satisfactory yet and "Special" Teams is a head scratcher, but as a team I think the Steelers have shown that they are capable of going toe to toe with and being counted among, the leagues so-called "elite" teams.
So now that you've heard all Coach Tomlin and I have to offer on these subjects, how would you guys respond?
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Tomlin Press Conference [SteelCityInsider]
Tomlin Hands Out Atta-Boys [Steelers.com]
Steelers Video: Mike Tomlin's Press Conference [Post-Gazette]
Crews Work To Improve Conditions At Heinz Field [KDKA]
Steelers Players Lobby Against Artificial Turf [Associated Press]
