PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 07: Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the first half against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on December 07, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers significantly overachieved en route to a 7-4 start. But, the team has come back to earth with consecutive terrible losses to 2-win teams, and serious questions are being asked about some of the decision-making by head coach Mike Tomlin.
One of those decisions that are being questioned by Steelers fans is a curious call to throw deep on a 4th and 2 with 2:01 remaining that was basically the ballgame with the team trailing 21-18 with just one timeout remaining.
The Steelers went for it all on 4th down.. 😬pic.twitter.com/dd1A4Z9u7F
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) December 8, 2023
That’s quite the call on 4th and 2 when you need a 1st down to give you any real chance to score. There were other receivers in routes on the play, but throwing the deep ball should’ve been the last resort there.
To make matters worse, they had a 3rd and 2 play where they could’ve tried to run the ball for the first down, knowing they had the two-minute warning as a backstop. Instead, they went empty backfield. Make it make sense.
After the game, that’s what the longtime legendary Steelers coach Mike Tomlin tried to do.
Tomlin on 4th and 2 play: “We play to win. We wanted to be aggressive.”
Holy crap.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) December 8, 2023
The problem is, playing to win actually means doing what gives you the best chance to win. It does not mean to be recklessly aggressive.
Pittsburgh is now 7-6, out of a playoff spot, and the schedule gets much tougher from here on out. I think almost everyone thought they would be 9-4 prior to playing the Cardinals on Sunday.
Their next four games are all against playoff contenders in the Colts, Bengals, Seahawks, and Ravens.