Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gives Desperate Answer Regarding Kenny Pickett's Lack Of Clutch Play Earlier In Games

[SteelerNation.com News]

The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen what Kenny Pickett is capable of. One doesn't simply set the rookie record for comeback drives, as well as becoming the first rookie quarterback to lead comeback drives in back-to-back weeks. He had another shining moment with a fourth quarter comeback in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens. Mike Tomlin was asked about Pickett's clutch factor in his press conference on Tuesday. That clutch trait is amazing, but there is always more to be desired, especially from a quarterback that tends to struggle before those clutch moments show up.

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[Litos]

The weighty downs...

 

[slashsteel]

The weighty downs...

We have weighty coaches problems.

Time to trim the fat!

 

[Drink IRON City]

The weighty downs...

All three of them, unless you count punting as “weighty”.


Salute the nation

 

[madinsomniac]

This is easy… until the coaching staff is desperate, the QBs are directed to make simple, safe and easily defended passes… then once the team is in a precarious situation, they finally really try using the whole field …

 

[GMC]

Does anyone really buy his bullshit anymore? I understand not throwing your staff under the bus, but does he truly believe everyone is that stupid?

 

[slashsteel]

Does anyone really buy his bullshit anymore? I understand not throwing your staff under the bus, but does he truly believe everyone is that stupid?

How's everything?

I assume you mean Tomlin?

For some reason he still has his loyal supporters. But I think the list is dwindling down.


Saw some fans on social media are not fond of the Broderick approach, and his lack of prompt decision making in general.

 

[Confluence]

This is easy… until the coaching staff is desperate, the QBs are directed to make simple, safe and easily defended passes… then once the team is in a precarious situation, they finally really try using the whole field …

Exactly the same issue that Ben Roethlisberger had. If the team had just planned for overcoming adversity against a tough D earlier in the game, it could be planned to have a more open, successful and better game plan, but that is not what this team does under this Head Coach.

 

[GMC]

How's everything?

I assume you mean Tomlin?

For some reason he still has his loyal supporters. But I think the list is dwindling down.


Saw some fans on social media are not fond of the Broderick approach, and his lack of prompt decision making in general.

Doing alright, how about you?
Yes, I was referring to coach T. He lost his luster with me after getting Tebow'd (shame so many bought into coach Lebeau suddenly loosing his ability) and any confidence I had left after getting throttled in three straight playoff games. Nice to see others are finally waking up. I don't watch nearly as much as I used to, but I'm always checking in here hoping maybe the light will suddenly come back on.

 

[SteelerFan448]

This is easy… until the coaching staff is desperate, the QBs are directed to make simple, safe and easily defended passes… then once the team is in a precarious situation, they finally really try using the whole field …

At this point, even if the assistants are desperate (since they are concerned with contracts running out), the head coach has the entire philosophy firmly under his control and we all know Tomlin shows no signs of desperation.

 

[Drink IRON City]

That’s just it, it use to be where coaches / players / ect. Wanted to get here to contribute, play hard.

Now players want to come here because things are softer, not as hard. Coaches avoid this dump like the plague, least ways career minded coaches.

I’d like to also point out that it’s hard to know who would and who wouldn’t work here as a coach as we get NO quality coaches even asked, as far as we know. This promote from with-in is BS and will never change anything due to that fact. Coach Tomlin has his thumb-screwed down so tight that no one makes a change to anything, unless they get his approval first.

This mediocre status has been in place way too long to be pointed at Sub-coaches, It’s Head Coach on down to trainers. An entire new staff needs to be brought in, with the STEELERS WAY ingrained into the new hire.

Art Duece may not be strong enough to do such a thing, but like new HC’s, a new president may be needed and a young one to boot.


Salute the nation

 

[slashsteel]

Doing alright, how about you?
Yes, I was referring to coach T. He lost his luster with me after getting Tebow'd (shame so many bought into coach Lebeau suddenly loosing his ability) and any confidence I had left after getting throttled in three straight playoff games. Nice to see others are finally waking up. I don't watch nearly as much as I used to, but I'm always checking in here hoping maybe the light will suddenly come back on.

Hanging in here. Yeah problem is when will the front office light come on?

 

[MT~Forged]

Tomlin has always been a HC who‘s philosophy has been “keep the game close and try to win it at the end”. The problem with that is that if a single mistake is made, then the other team need only make a few plays to win it. It forces the team to play mistake free ball while holding back.

I would much rather the team went out with a plan to exploit the others weaknesses, and put them in a huge hole early. This allows the team to not be in a position to lose the game because of a mistake or two a the end of the game.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Three q's HOF two time Champion. High drafted reclamation project and high drafted rookie. All struggle in first half of games. One OC. Just saying.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Three q's HOF two time Champion. High drafted reclamation project and high drafted rookie. All struggle in first half of games. One OC. Just saying.

Same HC as well who hired that one OC.


Salute the nation

 

[madinsomniac]

Three q's HOF two time Champion. High drafted reclamation project and high drafted rookie. All struggle in first half of games. One OC. Just saying.

Move it back two years and you have tgat same Star qb and two other qbs that all looked almost exactly the same on short targets.. makes me think they are just afraid to challenge modern coverages downfield

 

[Fiji Mariner]

We have weighty coaches problems.

Time to trim the fat!

Are you pointing out Tomlin’s beer belly?

 

[Drink IRON City]

Are you pointing out Tomlin’s beer belly?

Popcorn


Salute the nation

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Hanging in here. Yeah problem is when will the front office light come on?

Maybe when there is an embarrassing number of empty seats and/or visiting teams’ fans. That’s all I got.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Tomlin has always been a HC who‘s philosophy has been “keep the game close and try to win it at the end”. The problem with that is that if a single mistake is made, then the other team need only make a few plays to win it. It forces the team to play mistake free ball while holding back.

I would much rather the team went out with a plan to exploit the others weaknesses, and put them in a huge hole early. This allows the team to not be in a position to lose the game because of a mistake or two a the end of the game.

So like Todd Haley then?

 

[SteelerSask2]

Move it back two years and you have tgat same Star qb and two other qbs that all looked almost exactly the same on short targets.. makes me think they are just afraid to challenge modern coverages downfield

Tomlin always talks about not living in fear and he coaches in fear. Fear of giving up long plays and turnovers. Prefers death by thousand cuts over the middle and scared offense that won't throw over it.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Tomlin always talks about not living in fear and he coaches in fear. Fear of giving up long plays and turnovers. Prefers death by thousand cuts over the middle and scared offense that won't throw over it.

Not taking chances is what definitely holds back any team sport. It’s that “chance” to do good or to fail that brings the human characteristics to the game. Machines can’t grow, players can and usually it takes pushing to the limit or the edge to grow when competing in the professional world.

Are team is definitely being held back, in many categories including being allowed to take chances.

No GUTs NO glory is definitely a very true statement.


Salute the nation

 

[jiminoh]

A quote from the article above...

"[Pickett] doesn't shrink in those weighty moments. He's a competitor..."

MT, if you really believe that, then I have an idea. Leave him the hell alone to call an audible (and double eff the Duh) when Kenny sees a problem at the line.

 

[wig]

"Coaches avoid this dump like the plague, least ways career minded coaches."

Can't speak to how accurate it is or not, but I saw an interview with Warren Zapp where he said he spoke directly to gruden about the possibility of gruden coming to Pittsburgh and essentially gruden said "Oh f*** no!"

 

[diver]

A quote from the article above...

"[Pickett] doesn't shrink in those weighty moments. He's a competitor..."

MT, if you really believe that, then I have an idea. Leave him the hell alone to call an audible (and double eff the Duh) when Kenny sees a problem at the line.

A few observations about the audible thing...audibling and the hurry up are two different things. We see a little more success in the hurry up...QB is calling plays, i.e., give him the chance to audible. My first thought is...to what? What plays out of the fertile mind of Matt Canada would he be allowed to audible too? I don't have much confidence the choices would be any better than the original play.

Secondly, I think the whole audible thing is vastly overrated. While I am sure there were, I can't recall one time in all the years with Ben, regardless of the coordinator, that a big play happened off of when we all knew he was audibling. The guys I watch games with over the years and I would laugh about it. The pointing, the changing, the announcers saying he's audibling and...pffft. I'd like to know how much audibling he did in the hurry up? Did he audible off of his own plays? Does a QB only audible off the OCs plays and not his own? I think the whole thing is overblown.