Coach calls for more flair on field
The Steelers lead the NFL with nine completions of at least 40 yards. They had a 97yard touchdown reception by wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, the longest pass play in team history, in their most recent outing in Detroit. But coach Mike Tomlin said his team needs to “cash in” on more splash plays if they want to be even better in the second half of the season.
“Great teams seem like they have a flair for the dramatic,” Tomlin said. “They make those plays when given the opportunity.”
Tomlin pointed to several big plays the Steelers didn’t make in the first half of the season, when they finished 6-2 and are tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the AFC. He said a deep pass to Martavis Bryant on the first play in Chicago and a dropped interception by Ryan Shazier on the last defensive play in Detroit as examples of splash plays that didn’t occur.
“We had opportunities that were missed that would have made our journey easier,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference on the South Side. “We’ve left some out there. Yes, we’ve made some. And yes, we’re in a good spot. But we want to be in a better spot. And so we have to make more of those.”
One of the players who can help with that is Bryant, who did not play in Detroit because he was being punished for comments he made on social media. Bryant has 18 catches for 234 yards, but he was tied for the longest pass play of the season — 51 yards on the first play against the Minnesota Vikings — before SmithSchuster’s touchdown catchand-run in Detroit.
Tomlin said Bryant will play Sunday in Indianapolis, and recent history will suggest that could be a good thing. In a 2015 game against the Colts, Bryant had four catches for 114 yards that included a 68-yard touchdown. In 2014, he had a 52-yarder among his five catches for 83 yards against the Colts.
The Steelers are hoping to see more of that from Bryant in the final eight games. And it could start against the Colts, who have allowed a league-high 260 points and rank 31st in total defense and pass defense in the NFL.
“He did a nice job of dealing with the suspension and working hard to get better at his craft, and with that being said, we’re moving forward,” Tomlin said. “But I’m comfortable with the trajectory of where he is in terms of coming off the missed action.”
Turnover trouble
Tomlin said the Steelers have to do better job of creating more takeaways and limiting turnovers as they head into the second half of the season.
The Steelers are minus-1 in turnover ratio in eight games, a number that Tomlin said “doesn’t go along with 6-2 [their record].” He acknowledged that number is skewed by the Oct 8. game against Jacksonville in which the Steelers committed five turnovers — all on interceptions of Ben Roethlisberger passes — and had just one takeaway.
The Steelers have 12 turnovers (nine interceptions, three fumbles) and 11 takeaways (seven interceptions, four fumble recoveries). Nonetheless, they have a 2½ game in the AFC North Division.
“We’d like to be better at it,” Tomlin said. “We need to take care of the ball better, we need to get the ball more. Teams on the rise in the second half of the season usually do better job of taking care of the ball.”
Mitchell hurting
Tomlin said the off week gave injured players Stephon Tuitt (back), tackle Marcus Gilbert (hamstring) and tight end Van McDonald (knee) — each of whom did not play in Detroit — an extra week to heal. He said their progress will be monitored this week, but would not indicate which of those players will be available Sunday for a game in Indianapolis.
Tuitt, though, was a full participant Monday in practice and is expected to play. Tomlin also revealed safety Mike Mitchell sustained an Achilles injury against the Detroit Lions and was “shut down” last week. Mitchell did not practice Monday, either.
Like the others, Tomlin was not specific about Mitchell’s availability for the Colts.
“The bye week was an opportunity for a number of guys who have missed time to get back in the fold,” Tomlin said. “It was good from that perspective, but we won’t assume anything. We’ll continue to watch the guys who have missed time in preparation for this game and make necessary plans according to what we see.”