Steelers' Mike Tomlin, Elandon Roberts address the media after win vs. ATL
The more things change with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the more they stay the same. You can change the name of the stadium, the GM, and even the quarterback. But as long as Mike Tomlin is calling the shots, one thing will always stay the same: "We're gonna do what we do" "We aren't concerned with […]
The more things change with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the more they stay the same.
You can change the name of the stadium, the GM, and even the quarterback.
But as long as Mike Tomlin is calling the shots, one thing will always stay the same:
"We're gonna do what we do"
"We aren't concerned with what the Jones's do, we're gonna do what we do," said Coach Tomlin in response to a question about if he considered pulling his starters when he found out Atlanta would only be playing backups.
And sure, I'm all for getting your horses to the race, but as Coach Tomlin has said multiple times this preseason:
"If we're going to box, we had better spar."
The NFL season is a long one, and can be grueling once you get past Halloween, especially if you have an early bye like the Steelers do in week six. So running tough training camp practices, taking the team away from home, and getting the starters at least a few drives in every preseason game will go a long way in terms of preparation for week one.
"I don't care who you got out there"
"I don't care who you got out there," said starting LB Elandon Roberts in a response to a question on whether or not he was disappointed that Atlanta sat their starters. "We have an agenda, our agenda was getting out there and being able to execute calls and communicate as a defense. So when we felt comfortable with that, that's when it was up to Mike T and T.A. [Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin] to pull us."
Many even in the Pittsburgh media were hesitant about Tomlin's approach, citing the potential for more harm than good to come from a meaningless preseason contest.
But the truth is, Thursday's game, just like the two before it, was extremely important in the development of this team.
Whether it be the confidence of the starters, or the ability to determine who makes and misses out on the final 53, every rep matters.
Add on the fact that the Steelers came away healthy, 3-0, and with a dominant ending to a tremendous preseason…
And I guess you can say Coach Tomlin knows what he's doing after all.
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Featured image via:© Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
