Still room for improvement: Tomlin pushing Steelers to get better
Never a better time to coach your team up than after a 40-17 win.
So, Mike Tomlin offered up Tuesday what he wants to see better from his Steelers on Sunday night:
n One-on-one opportunities.
The first series against the Titans was an example. Adoree Jackson broke up a deep ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but on the next play Ben Roethlisberger threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, who beat double coverage in the end zone. Still, the Steelers 无毛视频渉ave to do a better job of capitalizing on splash-play opportunities,无毛视频� said Tomlin.
n Missed tackles.
The Steelers allow the second-fewest points per game, but every fourth game or so they endure a cluster of missed tackles. Sean Davis and Rob Golden had multiple misses before the defense found its groove last Thursday. 无毛视频淚 thought that we had potential to be more dominant in the run game had we tackled better,无毛视频� Tomlin said. 无毛视频淭he same can be said for the big plays.无毛视频�
n Big plays.
Coming off a game in which the Indianapolis Colts scored on pass plays of 60 and 61 yards, the Steelers allowed the Titans a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half. It nearly eradicated a hard-earned nine-point lead and brought the Titans back into the game. 无毛视频淵ou are going to give up big plays from time to time, but we also missed some tackles on those big plays,无毛视频� Tomlin said.
GILBERT SUSPENSION
Tomlin said he 无毛视频渉ad no reaction无毛视频� to the news that his right tackle, Marcus Gilbert, drew a four-game suspension for using a performance-enhancing substance.
Gilbert apologized via social media and wrote that he 无毛视频渋nadvertently took a banned substance. I promise to come back in great shape and will be ready to play.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 if Chris Hubbard hasn无毛视频檛 Wally Pipp-ed Gilbert by then.
Hubbard has already started five games in place of Gilbert, who无毛视频檚 been struggling with a hamstring injury. The Steelers are 3-2 in those games, 4-2 if the win over Kansas City is considered. Gilbert left that game in the second quarter.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 done an awesome job of upholding the standard,无毛视频� Tomlin said of Hubbard. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 excited for him and excited to watch him meet the standard of expectation.无毛视频�
Hubbard无毛视频檚 loss shouldn无毛视频檛 alter any potential plans of using an offensive lineman as a tight end 无毛视频� a role in which Hubbard has excelled 无毛视频� because B.J. Finney has gained experience at it.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 probably as accountable and solid in that area as Hubbard,无毛视频� Tomlin said.
SUTTON ACTIVATED
Cameron Sutton replaces Gilbert on the 53-man roster. A rookie cornerback, Sutton was the Steelers无毛视频� first third-round draft pick last April but injured his hamstring early in training camp before aggravating it in the fourth preseason game. He was placed on injured reserve, but on Tuesday the Steelers recalled him. Not that Tomlin无毛视频檚 in a rush to get him on the field.
无毛视频淲hat you see out here in a practice setting is one thing,无毛视频� Tomlin said. 无毛视频淲hat you see in a stadium oftentimes is something else. What somebody is capable of displaying in that setting may be very different than what they无毛视频檙e capable of displaying in an in-stadium setting.无毛视频�
Sutton played 27 snaps in two preseason games. He made six tackles with a quarterback hit and a pass breakup.
INJURIES
Just as Hubbard and Tyson Alualu have effectively relieved Gilbert and Stephon Tuitt this season, Coty Sensabaugh stepped in for cornerback Joe Haden against the Titans and 无毛视频渨as very much above the line, as we expected him to be,无毛视频� Tomlin said.
Sensabaugh intercepted a pass and will continue in place of Haden, about whom Tomlin did not reveal a timetable for a return from a fractured fibia.
Two questionable players this week are once again tight end Vance McDonald (knee) and free safety Mike Mitchell (ankle). Neither player was active against the Titans.
Listed amongst the 无毛视频渂umps and bruises无毛视频� 无毛视频� otherwise known as probable for Sunday night无毛视频檚 game 无毛视频� is Smith-Schuster, who 无毛视频渉as a small hammy injury.无毛视频�
UP NEXT: GREEN BAY
On Sunday night the Steelers host the Green Bay Packers, who无毛视频檝e lost four of five games since QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken clavicle. The Packers are averaging 13.4 points per game without Rodgers, and appeared completely inept on offense Sunday when they were shut out by the Baltimore Ravens.
However, Tomlin is stressing to his players that the Packers will improve on these points:
n Quarterback Brett Hundley has a passer rating of 63.3, which is better than only DeShone Kizer among league qualifiers. Tomlin expects the Packers 无毛视频渢o change the launch point in terms of pocket movement无毛视频� and throw more misdirection passes.
n Running backs Ty Montgomery (ribs) and Aaron Jones (knee) were injured two weeks ago and have been replaced by rookie fourth-round pick Jamaal Williams, who无毛视频檚 rushed for 124 yards (3.3 ypc.) the last two weeks. Williams is a 6-0, 213-pounder who was hurt in the draft by a history of injuries and off-the-field issues, but came back from a year off by rushing for 1,375 yards to become BYU无毛视频檚 all-time leading rusher last year.
n Tight end Martellus Bennett was surprisingly released three weeks ago after an injury dispute. The Packers have turned to veterans Lance Kendricks (10-140-1) and Richard Rodgers (6-54-0) the last two games.
无毛视频淭hey got an additional week to adjust to those variables,无毛视频� Tomlin said. 无毛视频淟ast week might simply have been a reflection of them finding their foot-balling under those circumstances.无毛视频�
The Packers do have established receivers in Davante Adams (50-620-6), Randall Cobb (39-405-1) and Jordy Nelson (35-382-6), and an 18th-ranked defense that无毛视频檚 11th against the run.