It certainly wasn’t the prettiest of victories, but style points don’t matter a whole lot in the NFL. Head coach Mike Tomlin will take a 21-14 Pittsburgh Steelers triumph over the New England Patriots, regardless of how it happens.
It doesn’t hurt that a critical rookie stepped up in the win, though. In his first action since suffering an MCL sprain in the preseason, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon finally dipped his toes into the water in real games.
Speaking to the media on Sunday afternoon, Tomlin gave an early review of Harmon’s performance.
Mike Tomlin ‘Appreciative’ of Rookie Derrick Harmon in NFL Debut
Tomlin is proud of the 21st overall NFL Draft pick for contributing.
“Man, I was appreciative of his efforts,” Tomlin said. “Excited for him. He’s a competitor. He wanted to be out there with his teammates. I thought he represented himself well today. It’s onward and upward from here.”
In all, it was a nice official debut for the Oregon product. Operating on a pitch count, Harmon made the most of his first reps of the 2025-26 campaign. Not only did he factor into the run game thanks to a high motor, but he also made his presence felt as a pass rusher. His first-quarter sack of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on third-and-5 forced a punt. The Steelers would go on to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession.
If you’re Pittsburgh or one of their fans, the wait was worth it. Harmon is just getting used to life in the NFL, and the rest of his teammates also chipped in on Sunday. Week 3 saw fellow defenders T.J. Watt (2 sacks), Cameron Heyward (1 sack) and Nick Herbig (1 sack) take down Maye for losses. That’s without even considering the turnover production Teryl Austin’s defense managed.
With a key depth piece like Harmon now back in the fold, Tomlin will hope it’s onward and upward for everyone involved.
Tomlin Glad Steelers Escaped Dramatic Road Game With a Victory
To say there was never a doubt from the outside world would be a massive lie. The 2-1 Steelers made Sunday’s win about as difficult as possible to achieve. On offense, running back Jaylen Warren was held to just 2.6 yards per carry and quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw an ugly interception. At one point, the offense had four consecutive three-play series (not including an end-of-half kneel-down).
The defense also surrendered 369 total net yards to New England. If not for five — yes, five — turnovers, who knows where Maye and the Patriots would’ve found themselves. An unsustainable number of fumbles lost (4) dug the home team into its grave.
Still, they had a chance to lead a game-tying drive at the end. A Brandin Echols stop near the sticks on a throw to DeMario Douglas, however, indicated other plans and sealed the deal. In the grand scheme of things, Tomlin is happy with the defense.
“Defensively, I thought we were pretty tight in the red zone and things of that nature,” Tomlin said. “I thought we could’ve been better on possession downs. Thankfully, we took the ball away from them to alleviate some of that lack of possession down success. All in all, it was a good team victory. We fought for 60 minutes.”
Now back in the win column, the Steelers will shift focus to the 2-1 Minnesota Vikings for Week 4.
Mike Tomlin Reacts to NFL Debut for Steelers’ Key Rookie