Mike Tomlin: If Kenny Pickett is cleared, he will be the starter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - After a gritty, 20-18 victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Tomlin and his Steelers are preparing for a primetime showdown in the Sunshine State.
"The standard is the standard," Tomlin uttered as he began his press conference, speaking on the contributions of the backup players the team relied on as the Steelers' defense has become decimated by injury to several of their regular starters.
"We had a lot of young secondary guys that had the opportunity to ascend in some instances, to reascend in other instances," Tomlin noted. He specifically talked about James Pierre and Mitch Trubisky, both of whom had taken a back seat to other players on the depth chart.
"It's a mentality that we have here in Pittsburgh we don't discount anyone, and everyone in our organization is viable and can be a significant component of success for us," Tomlin added.
Sunday night's game against the Dolphins could come without the presence of rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who has since entered the NFL's concussion protocol after taking a hit during the Buccaneers game.
"His work won't be limited in any way," Tomlin said of Pickett's practice schedule while in the concussion protocol. "If he's cleared to play, he'll play," Tomlin said of Pickett's status. Pickett also will be a full participant in practice throughout the week, unless something changes in his injury status.
Mike Tomlin spoke on Pickett's injury, saying the Steelers will err on the side of caution with the 24-year-old, and whenever he's cleared by the medical staff, he will hit the field again.
Tomlin said both Levi Wallace and Pat Freiermuth haven't been cleared from the concussion protocol yet, but he expects that they will be full participants in practice on Wednesday.
"We feel extremely comfortable about our medical experts. We feel real good about our expertise," Tomlin said of his team's doctors and their ability to give proper clearance to players who are in the concussion protocol. "We'll continue to lean on their expertise and follow their lead from a decision-making standpoint."
Other bumps and bruises from players like return man Steven Sims (hamstring) and offensive lineman James Daniels (ankle), Myles Jack (ankle), and Larry Ogunjobi (knee) will be monitored throughout the week, Tomlin said.
Shifting his focus to the Dolphins, Tomlin heaped praise on stud wideouts, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, whose speed will be cause for concern for the Steelers secondary. Former Penn State tight end, Mike Gesicki, is another vertical threat Tomlin spoke of.
"They stretch the field vertically, they do so very well. Their play-action pass game is awesome, Tua [Tagovailoa] is very good at turning his back to the defense, Tomlin added.
Speaking of Tagovailoa, Miami has been dealing with quarterback injuries of its own, with Tagovailoa aiming to return to action this week after spending the past two weeks in the league's concussion protocol. However, Tagovailoa looks to be the starter for Sunday night's contest, and his mobility will be a factor in the Dolphins' game plan for victory.
On the defensive side of the ball, the coach highlighted the aggressive nature of Miami's defense. "They're an attacking group, blitzing group. Xavien Howard is a signature guy on that back end." Jerome Baker is an all-situations, second-level, athletic linebacker, Tomlin added. "They've got a nice division of labor," he said.
Former Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores, will be a useful resource for the Steelers, however, he won't be an all-knowing resource, Tomlin said.
"In the coaching profession, we all feel it's overblown, to be quite honest," Tomlin said. "It's not about what coaches know, it's about what coaches can convey to players and it's about what players can recall in an instant, in a moment before a ball is snapped."
"We have to put together a good plan, our players have to understand the plan, they have to go out and execute the plan, and very little of that has to do with where Flores worked last year or intimate knowledge of members of their football team," Tomlin added.
The Steelers will battle the Dolphins this Sunday night on Sunday Night Football. Kick-off is set for 8:20 p.m.