Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media ahead of Sunday night’s AFC North Division championship game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. The matchup will determine which team claims the division title and secures a home Wild Card playoff game.
Tomlin opened his press conference by welcoming reporters to “AFC North Championship Week.” He expressed optimism about linebacker T.J. Watt’s potential return after missing three games due to a partially collapsed lung. “I’m optimistic about (Watt’s) potential inclusion in this game. We’ll work him up throughout the course of week and let the amount of participation and the quality of participation be our guide in terms of whether or not he’s a participant. But (I’m) certainly more optimistic this week than I have been in previous weeks.”
Reflecting on last week’s 13-6 loss to Cleveland, Tomlin noted missed opportunities, including a near interception by Nick Herbig that could have changed the game’s momentum. “I thought we had one, two minutes or so before halftime,” Tomlin recalled. “(Nick) Herbig had his hands on the ball in our left flat, and he certainly had an opportunity to run it back had he caught it. I think those are the type of plays that really kind of break games like that open, and when you get them, you have an opportunity to move on and find your rhythm and do what’s required to win, and when they don’t, it’s obviously more tough sledding, and it certainly was that for us.”
The Steelers played without receiver DK Metcalf against Cleveland due to suspension. Without Metcalf, Pittsburgh’s wide receivers combined for only 60 yards. In contrast, Metcalf contributed significantly in their previous win over Baltimore with seven catches for 148 yards.
Discussing strategy against Baltimore’s defense, Tomlin said: “If they give us one-on-one playmaking opportunities, we’ve got to make those plays. And we’ve got to put guys in a position to do so. We’ve got very capable men.” He added: “Oftentimes… there’s a fine line between being a Pro Bowler and a backup… it’s a reasonable expectation from my perspective… that we put together a thoughtful plan and that we position our guys to take advantage of opportunities.”
In recent meetings with Baltimore, Pittsburgh has struggled with run defense—being outrushed 217-34 on December 7th and 299-50 during last season’s playoffs. Derrick Henry led Baltimore’s ground attack with 186 rushing yards in the playoff game and 94 earlier this month.
Tomlin believes Pittsburgh is better prepared this year due in part to first-round draft pick Derrick Harmon’s return from injury: “Derrick Harmon is back,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s significant, or at least the significance of his presence has been well-documented. We’ll see.”
Baltimore faces its own uncertainty at quarterback as Tyler Huntley started last week while Lamar Jackson dealt with injuries. The Ravens have won both games Huntley started this season.
“There are certainly some things that are exclusive to Lamar, and that’s not taking anything away from Huntley,” Tomlin said. “…Although it is potentially a backup-quarterback circumstance, I think there’s some real fluidity there from their perspective…”
Since 2000, Pittsburgh has posted a strong record in regular-season finales (20-5 overall; 11-1 at home), including ten wins out of eleven against division opponents at home.
“It is an honor man to be in these games, to be in these hotly contested matchups,” Tomlin said. “Seems like Baltimore is always a dance partner. I certainly am respectful and appreciative of that relationship and some of the historic things we’ve been able to do when these two teams have come together. This appears to be one of those weekends. It’s humbling and an honor to be a component of it, but to be a component of it is just that. Our job is to win.”
The Steelers’ legacy includes six Super Bowl championships according to their official website as well as recognition through Hall of Honor inductions as detailed online. The organization also maintains its headquarters at Acrisure Stadium and operates its Hall of Honor Museum there, highlighting historical achievements for fans.
