Despite a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, the Pittsburgh Steelers will enter another AFC North matchup in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals atop of the division standings. One of the few benefits of playing on a short week is the mini-bye that comes afterwards, but fans had to go longer than normal to hear what Head Coach Mike Tomlin had to say about the defeat following his chance to watch game film. He addressed the media on Tuesday and spoke about the prior matchup, the next one, and all things relevant to his football team.

Benjamin B. Braun / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin looks down at the snowy field as his team takes on the Cleveland Browns during a Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season.

The Steelers absolutely could, and should, have won the contest versus the then-two-win Browns, but certain things didn’t fall the team’s way as the game went on. There was a chance late in the matchup to secure the victory, but Pittsburgh wasn’t able to get a first down, leading to the ball being punted back to Cleveland. This is when things went from bad to worse.

Corliss Waitman has been phenomenal since replacing Cameron Johnston, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. Waitman’s incredible 2024 campaign had a blemish put on it when he shanked a 15-yard punt. This gave the Browns great field position with about three and a half minutes to go. The game-winning score would come not too long after. Tomlin brought this to light when he addressed some of the reasons for the bad defeat.

“We had an opportunity to get into our four-minute offense and maybe close the game out,” Tomlin said. “We were unsuccessful in that endeavor and we coupled that with, you know, a less than ideal punt.”

It’s safe to say that 15 yards, even with the terrible weather in Cleveland, was as Tomlin put it: less than ideal. Waitman and anyone watching knew this at the time, but it’s another thing for a head coach to come out and directly say it without being prompted. It’s unfortunate that it happened; and at the worst time possible. It doesn’t, however, take away from the awesome year Waitman is having after being unemployed prior to Johnston’s injury.

Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)

Steelers punter Corliss Waitman prepares to punt a football against the Cleveland Browns in 2021 during one of his stints with the team.

Tomlin also spoke about the quality of play overall. The Steelers didn’t do what needed to be done in a close game, which is something that affected the outcome. The head coach credited Cleveland for making the necessary plays when they needed to be made.

“I thought they made more plays than we did and often times, when you’re in tight ball games, it comes down to that weighty play-making in the latter moments of games.”

The loss hurt the Steelers, but didn’t ruin any chances of being atop the division at season’s end. Each game presents different scenarios and the teams on the losing end each week can pinpoint certain situations that led to a defeat. In this case, Waitman’s punt has been highlighted, but it is not the sole reason why Pittsburgh wasn’t able to come away with a win.

With that said, the weather is no excuse for a 15-yard punt in crunch time. There will be some games in December and into January that feature snowy and cold conditions, so the hope is that Waitman has learned from this. There isn’t a doubt that special teams coordinator, Danny Smith spoke to him some point about the mishap.

Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)

Steelers special teams coordinator, Danny Smith (left) and Head Coach Mike Tomlin (middle) speak with an official prior to a 2021 regular season game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.

Steelers’ Special Teams Play Legitimate Reason For 8-3 Start To 2024

Waitman’s play has flown under the radar because of how automatic Chris Boswell has been for the majority of the 2024 campaign. The special teams unit hasn’t always been consistent in the past, but Smith’s group has proven to be a large piece of why the franchise is having success. As the weather turns and gets worse, it will be imperative to keep up the consistent style of play while not making mistakes in critical moments.

Do you think that it was fair for Tomlin to make a comment about Waitman’s worst punt of 2024? Let us know in the comments below!