Steelers crude talk gets little attention from Pats
It was the type of slip-up you don’t see coming out of the Patriots’ locker room, what with a coach in Bill Belichick who likes to crack wise about social media whenever he gets the chance.
But in a case of Facebook Live gone wrong, Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown caught his coach, Mike Tomlin, giving a profane warning to his team about, ironically enough, keeping a low profile heading into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium.
“When you get to this point in the journey, not a lot needs to be said,” Tomlin told his team following its 18-16 divisional round win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Let’s say very little moving forward. Let’s start our preparations. We spotted those (expletives) a day and a half,” Tomlin said of the Patriots. “They played (Saturday). Our game got moved to (Sunday). We gonna touch down at 4 o’clock in the (expletive) morning. So be it. We’ll be ready for that (expletive). But you ain’t gotta tell them we coming, because some of us might not like the damn (inaudible), the chest pounding. Keep a low profile.”
At least one Steeler interviewed yesterday thought Brown’s broadcasting inappropriate, but tried to keep it in perspective.
“Personally, I’d like some of that stuff sacred,” Steeler Greg Warren told the AP. “But this is a changing world, a changing environment. I can’t be some old guy stuck under a rock, that’s for sure.”
Later in the day, Belichick took to his fake social media generator on WEEI.
“As you know I’m not on Snap-face and all that so I don’t really get those,” he said. “I’m really just worried about getting our team ready to go. I’m not really too worried about what they put on InstantChat, or whatever it is.”
Patriots players did their best to downplay it as well. In his weekly interview with WEEI on the Kirk & Callahan Show, Tom Brady cited how team policy differs in Foxboro, noting that “every coach has a different style.”
Julian Edelman also shrugged it off on WEEI’s Ordway, Fauria and Merloni Show.
“I am not going to be worried about what they are saying, I am going to be worried about what they are doing,” Edelman said. “I am going to be worried about my week of prep and what I have to do to go out and contribute for this team.”
On the same program, linebacker Dont’a Hightower seemed to speak for his teammates when he said, “I don’t care. Is that supposed to hurt my feelings?”
Paying a visit
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to make an appearance at Gillette Stadium since the Deflategate battle began in 2015, and it has not been forgotten by those in Foxboro. The penalties levied against the Pats, which included a four-game suspension on Brady, makes for high tension whenever Goodell does come to town.
After the commissioner made trips to two NFC stadiums and Kansas City so far in the playoffs, the logical next step is the Pats-Steelers game, considering he was in Atlanta this past weekend, where the Falcons and Packers square off Sunday.
Asked about his thoughts on that scenario on WEEI, Brady chose his words carefully.
“Um, you know, he is the commissioner, so obviously whatever he wants to do, he can do,” Brady said. “That’s, if he wants to come, that would be . . . Yeah, he can come.”
After some prodding, Brady did not budge.
“You know, guys, I don’t want to . . . He can go wherever wants to go,” he said. “Whoever’s at the game is at the game.”
Young guns ready
The improvement by the Pittsburgh pass defense has been notable, having given up over 250 yards through the air just twice over the last 12 games after doing so five out of its first six outings. That upward trend has shown a growing maturity of a young secondary that features two rookies in cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis.”
“They’re not going to make many mistakes; they’re not going to give you many opportunities to have easy yards,” Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said via conference call. “You’re going to have to earn everything you get. Like I said, it’ll be a great challenge.”