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PITTSBURGH – Despite a 1-2 start and a stagnant attack led by a 39-year-old quarterback playing behind a below-par offensive line, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is far from tearing up the plans for the team at the dawn of the fourth week of the season.
“We’re not going to press the panic button,” Tomlin said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. “What do I mean by the panic button? We’re not going to drastically change who and what we are at this point.
“We are not resistant to change in order to improve ourselves, but we are not going to be so unstable that we stray from our compass, from our identity that we have worked hard to develop – and will continue to work hard to develop. – and the emphasis on style of play, whatever it is in the three phases. “
This identity, however, is still something of a mystery. The Steelers sit last in the NFL with just 159 rushing yards in three weeks. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a QBR of 35.5, which ranks him 28th in the league.
Following the Week 2 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Roethlisberger presented himself as the key to finding the identity of the unit.
“The best way to find an identity is for the quarterback to play better,” he said. “So that’s what I have to do. I’m going to work on myself to prepare myself to do better reads, better throws and try to put ourselves in a situation to win a football game.”
Roethlisberger threw two interceptions in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Bengals, was sacked four times and received eight total hits, with the offense averaging just 4.8 yards per passing attempt.
Tomlin was firm when asked if using another quarterback to find a spark was a consideration.
“No,” Tomlin said. “There was not.”
Fourth-year quarterback Mason Rudolph was the only other active caller for the games, while Dwayne Haskins was among the inactive every week. Tomlin also has no plans to change his veteran quarterback’s training schedule. Roethlisberger has not practiced Wednesday for at least five years.
“This guy has got a lot of work to do not just over what we’ve been doing in preparation for this season, but over the 18 years that have seen us take this approach,” said Tomlin. “It’s a holistic approach. It rests him and rightly so. He’s an older guy, and the wear and tear of games affects him differently than younger guys. But also, he’s an older guy and it has a volume of games that most guys can’t get out of it probably requires more physical labor in an effort to be ready to play.
“Also, you have to look at the entire trip. We are entering Game 4. We have a lot of games coming up, and I don’t want to answer questions at the end of the year about the quality of his arm. launch, for example. “
Tomlin’s claim that they are going to maintain the status quo and not press the panic button echoes what Roethlisberger said immediately following the loss to the Bengals.
“We believe in what we do,” Roethlisberger said. “And we’re not going to stop on that. We’re not going to stop each other. We’ll see when we come tomorrow. I’m going to look the guys in the eye and make sure no one else does. is I don’t believe there will be. I won’t get abandonment from myself or the coaching staff. “
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