Mike Tomlin Fires Clear Message on Steelers Offensive Breakout Against Bengals

Getty Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacted to the team's best offensive performance from a yardage standpoint this season.

Two dubious streaks for head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers offense ended on November 26.

The Steelers gained 421 yards of offense in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the first time since Week 2 of the 2020 season that Pittsburgh had more than 400 yards of offense.

With the offensive explosion, the Steelers outgained the Bengals, 421-222. It was the first time during the 2023 season that the Steelers outgained an opponent in a game.

But none of that seemed to matter much to Tomlin.

In response to a question about how the team’s offense performed in Week 12, Tomlin simply addressed the end result.

“I’m not trying to paint with a broad brush and act like ‘Eureka,'” Tomlin told reporters in his postgame press conference. “You know, we did what we needed to do today, and we’ll keep pushing.”

“I’m happy that we won. And so we’re just going to keep pushing.”

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Breaks Out Against Bengals

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett didn’t throw for a touchdown for a third consecutive game. Pittsburgh also scored just 16 points versus Cincinnati, which was just under the team’s 16.6 points per game average.

With that average, the Steelers are 28th in scoring per contest this season.

But there’s no doubt that Pickett and the Steelers were significantly better offensively in their first game after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

Pickett threw for a season-high 278 passing yards and connected on passes to eight different receivers. Pickett exploited the middle of the field the entire afternoon, completing 11 of his 24 passes to tight ends.

“I thought we spread the ball around. I thought we changed up things schematically and did different things. Launch points,” Tomlin told the media. “I thought we attacked down the field there early when they were in split safeties, and we weren’t going to let them sit comfortably all day. We did what we needed to do.”

Tomlin called tight end Pat Freiermuth “significant.” Freiermuth had 9 receptions and 120 receiving yards, both of which were career highs.

As the Bengals played two high-safeties to take away big play opportunities for Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, Freiermuth was routinely open over the middle of the field and in the flat. Freiermuth led the Steelers with 11 targets.

Pittsburgh entered Week 12 ranked 25th in third-down conversions at 34.6%. The Steelers were 8-for-17 on third down in Week 12.

“I thought there was a lull there maybe in the second quarter where they were winning some possession downs,” Tomlin said. “They were lighting us up pretty good with pressure structure. But once we adjusted, it got a little more fluid in the second half.”

Mike Tomlin Not Grading Steelers Offense on Curve

Guiding the Steelers offense to its first 400-yard game in more than three years is an impressive feat for first-time offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner. On November 26, Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan was also calling offensive plays for the first time since 2017.

But Tomlin wasn’t celebrating the 400-yard accomplishment or the impressive game plan Faulkner and Sullivan put together in a short time frame.

“I’m not worried under these circumstances,” Tomlin said. “That’s our job, and they did it.”

Going forward, the Steelers will still need more points. But Tomlin repeated on November 26 what he has said this season when his team was getting outgained and winning.

“Guys like myself and Kenny, we’re judged based on winning and losing,” Tomlin said. “We don’t run from that, we run to that. Him and I are winners today.”