Tough foe for Buffalo
Steelers out to rebound from poor effort; Bills look to boost position
Bills coach Sean Mcdermott wouldn’t go as far as to describe Mike Tomlin’s sometimes gruff demeanor as intimidating.
“I just think he’s got a real good personality and a good way with words,” Mcdermott said, referring to the Steelers’ coach, whom he’s known since the two were teammates at William & Mary. “He always has a way of putting a buzz on the verbiage he uses.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for him that way.”
In noting the influence Tomlin, a team captain, had on him as a walk-on safety in 1993, Mcdermott reflected back with Buffalo (9-3) preparing to play host to Pittsburgh (11-1) in a showdown of AFC division leaders on Sunday night.
At the very least, Mcdermott said, Tomlin had a way of getting his message across.
No different than this week, perhaps.
Tomlin minced no words in assessing the Steelers’ deficiencies following their first loss of
the season. Pittsburgh turned over the ball twice on downs and another on an interception in squandering a 14-0 lead in a 23-17 loss to Washington on Monday.
Tomlin called Pittsburgh’s inability to score on five attempts from Washington’s 1 as “catastrophic.”
He called out his receivers for dropping too many passes by saying: “They can catch the ball or they can get replaced by those who will catch it.”
And he questioned his usually stout defense for being the “less dominants” in the second half, when Washington scored on
four of six possessions, including the last three.
The Bills are seeking to claim their first AFC East title since 1995.
While the Steelers are accustomed to success, the Bills are relative newcomers to lateseason playoff races before Mcdermott’s arrival in 2017.