Tomlin: It’s time for Steelers to put up and shut up

PITTSBURGH » Mike Tomlin believes it’s time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to put up and shut up.

Emphasis on shut up.

“Talking doesn’t get it done,” Tomlin said Tuesday.

Neither does laying an egg in Cincinnati, something the Steelers (5-5-1) did during a stunningly one-sided blowout loss to the Bengals that left players embarrassed and Tomlin fuming.

While the longtime head coach has calmed down a bit, he’s well aware his team needs to improve and improve quickly if it wants to have any chance at being a factor as Christmas nears.

Tomlin said he is “open to all things” when it comes to figuring out how to fix a defense that’s given up 41 points in back-to-weeks. That means both switching up personnel and the game plan, though that is something that players can only fix internally, something Tomlin has no control over once the ball is snapped.

“(It’s) that man vs. himself battle,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got to challenge ourselves and we’ve got to dig down deep and be at our best to meet those challenges.”

Something Pittsburgh failed to do repeatedly against the Bengals. If Cincinnati’s offense wasn’t mauling the Steelers’ injuryriddled defense, then the Bengals’ defense was bullying Pittsburgh’s overmatched and rookie-laden offense.

Tomlin allowed it will take time for his team to wipe off the stench, adding they can’t forget it, but must move past it with AFC North-leading Baltimore (8-3) visiting Heinz Field on Sunday. Of primary concern is a run defense ranked 28th in the league, one tasked with now trying to contain Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The Steelers have held Jackson relatively in check in two previous meetings, but will come in potentially short-handed with outside linebacker T.J. Watt in the COVID-19 protocol. The defensive line is an underachieving, underwhelming mess outside of veteran Cam Heyward, one of the reasons Pittsburgh claimed defensive tackle Montravius Adams off New Orleans’ practice squad on Tuesday.

While it’s unclear how much Adams could immediately contribute as he gets up to speed, Tomlin may order a padded practice — a rarity this time of year under the collective bargaining agreement rules — in hopes his team will rediscover the physicality that’s been lacking lately.