Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is tasked with slowing down the weapons of the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday. Tomlin thinks there’s a way to slow down Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, among the others.
That approach includes making sure no one receiver is left in single coverage.
“Whoever has only one guy on him gets the ball,” Tomlin said, per Steelers.com. “We can make it complex, but at the end of the day they’ve got really talented receivers, and you only have so many defenders. And oftentimes, when I really watch Joe, I think he drops back in those red zone circumstances and whoever’s got one guy on him is getting the ball.”
Tomlin says both players present interesting challenges.
“Obviously a guy like Tee, because of his stature – 6-foot-4, 225 – is a red zone issue and matchup for the defense. But Chase is a unique guy,” Tomlin said. “He leads the league in all receiving statistical categories – receptions, yards, touchdowns, targets. And so this is a unique group that presents a unique challenge. And so they can strike from just about anywhere.”
The Steelers are fighting for an 11th win this season, while the Bengals are looking for a postseason berth. Something will give on Saturday night, when the two AFC rivals meet on the gridiron.
Steelers are already locked in to the AFC Playoffs…once again
Pittsburgh is headed once again to the AFC playoffs under Tomlin. The Super Bowl winning coach has never had a losing season in the Steel City. That’s remarkable, as he’s been the head coach since the 2007 campaign. Tomlin finds ways to win.
This season has been no different, although there have been more challenges. Tomlin and the Steelers completely overhauled their quarterback room this past offseason. Kenny Pickett and the rest of the play callers were shipped off, and the team signed Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Both quarterbacks have seen action this season for the team. Fields started at the beginning of the year, due to a Wilson injury. Fields is now the one banged up, and he’s missed the last two games with abdomen issues. Fields returned to practice ahead of the Bengals game, and the Steelers are expected to use him if they can.
Tomlin says his team has been able to build chemistry.
“Obviously, winning is our business, and we better handle business. And you better get a collection of good guys. I think it starts there – assembling good guys who happen to be good players,” the coach added. “If you have those ingredients, then you can cook the team chemistry that is somewhat mystical if you really get in a thick discussion about it.”
The Steelers enter the Bengals game with a 10-6 record, and look to snap a three-game losing streak. Cincinnati is 8-8 on the year. The teams play at 8:00 ET on Saturday.
