Steelers' Mike Tomlin contradicts himself with answer on controversial play
In the NFL, most coaches play to win. That can mean a variety of things, but to use a Tomlinism, it means not living in your fears. And while I tend to agree with that notion, it has to make common sense given the context of the drive, game and season. Yet, with the game […]
In the NFL, most coaches play to win.
That can mean a variety of things, but to use a Tomlinism, it means not living in your fears.
And while I tend to agree with that notion, it has to make common sense given the context of the drive, game and season. Yet, with the game on the line and the season in the balance, Pittsbugh's defining call made anything but sense:
Never In History Ball
I resonate with the latter part of Coach Tomlin's quote here. I think his definition and Mitch Trubisky's definition of aggressive are a little different, but that's a topic for another day.
Nonetheless, football is a game to be won. It favors the bold and is quite literally built on aggression.
The contradiction in Coach Tomlin's statement comes from the former part of the quote.
See, playing to win in that situation is getting into 13 personnel (three tight end sets) and using your 250-LB RB to gain a measly two yards.
Maybe it's even dragon-lion, an old school west coast concept that is designed to pick up 5 yards no matter what coverage the defense is in.
But playing to win is most certainly not throwing what J.T. O'Sullivan of the QB School would call a never-in-history ball.
Why is it called that? Because never in history has a wounded duck of a pass just thrown up into traffic with the game on the line been completed. (Ok, maybe once or twice but you get the gist.)
So I appreciate the honesty and the candid nature in which Coach Tomlin speaks. I also appreciate the accountability as he could just as easily have said: "Talk to the OC, he's the one calling the plays," which is true.
But no matter who's fault it is, these kinds of decisions and calls are the ones that leave you wondering what could have been when your sitting at home watching the playoffs.
And after dropping two in a row against lackluster opposition, unless Pittsburgh tightens up, and fast, that's right where they'll be.
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