Tomlin shows faith in his team
LANDOVER, Md. – With several offensive starters sitting out, either via suspension or injury, the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin didn’t go conservative as so many of his coaching brethren would have done.
Tomlin went the other way. He rolled the dice a number of times.
It was a daring plan, but when you’re on the road at less than full strength, Tomlin bet on black and gold.
And time and again, it proved to be the right choice Monday night against the Washington Redskins.
Early in the second quarter, with the Steelers having twice avoided disaster on fumbles – one they stripped from a Washington defender and one that was ruled no catch by Antonio Brown – the Steelers faced fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line.
The conservative plan, especially with the score just 6-0 in favor of Washington, would have been to kick a field goal. The aggressive plan would have been to run DeAngelo Williams for the first down to keep the drive going.
Tomlin did neither.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went deep to Brown in the end zone, with Brown beating double coverage to come down with the touchdown pass.
No guts, no glory.
Later in the second quarter, facing a similar situation at the Washington 34, the Steelers again passed on a field goal.
This time, Roethlisberger found receiver Eli Rogers, playing in his first professional game, on a crossing route for a 19-yard catch-and-run.
He would finish the possession with a touchdown pass to Rogers, with some help by second-year receiver Sammie Coates, and a 14-6 halftime lead. The pass was intended for Coates but cornerback Bashaud Breeland jumped the quick slant and the ball bounced directly to Rogers for the score.
Sometimes, you make your own luck.
And in this case, that’s what the Steelers did.
With star running back Le’Veon Bell sitting at home, suspended for the first three games of the season, wide receiver Martavis Bryant, also on suspension, watching the game in Las Vegas, receiver Markus Wheaton and fullback Roosevelt Nix out with injuries and tight end Ladarius Green on the Physically Unable to Perform list for at least the first six weeks of the season, this offense looked little like what the Steelers had wanted.
Tomlin has stressed that he expects the players replacing injured starters to raise their level of play, using a next-man-up mentality.
In this case, however, the coach not only expected that, he stacked the deck a little in his own favor by taking chances not usually seen at the NFL level.
It’s easy to display that level of trust in players such as Roethlisberger and Brown. They are two of the best in the NFL.
But Rogers was undrafted last year coming out of Louisville. He missed all of last season on injured reserve. He was playing in his first NFL game. On Monday Night Football. And the stage wasn’t too big.
Washington’s offense featured DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, a pair of former 1,000-yard receivers. It had a tight end in Jordan Reed who made the Pro Bowl last season after catching 87 passes. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw 16 touchdown passes against only two interceptions at home in 2015.
But it was Pittsburgh’s offense, missing many of its components, that dictated the pace of the game because Tomlin showed his players he wasn’t going to take his foot off the gas because there were some players missing.
He trusted his guys to make plays in big moments, no matter who they might be.
It was a bold statement by Tomlin on an opening day that cried out for a bold statement.
Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.