Mike Tomlin: Najee Harris continues to be evaluated
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Steelers (4-7) traveled to Indianapolis for a Monday Night Football matchup with the 4-6-1 Colts. By the game's end, the Steelers had won, and Mike Tomlin had improved his MNF record to 19-3, good for the 2nd best record among coaches with at least ten Monday Night Football games coached, sitting only behind John Madden.
"I respect Monday Night Football; I make sure our team does. I appreciate it from a fan's perspective. I love and respect it and want to put my best foot forward, but I have no response to the record," said Tomlin with a grin.
The production the Steelers received from several different areas surprised him, Tomlin said. Highlighting players like James Pierre, Matthew Wright, Benny Snell, and others, Tomlin was impressed by the next-man-up mentality displayed by the players at his disposal.
James Pierre's maturation and ability to elevate his play in the absence of others "is not too big for him," Tomlin stated. "There's a steadiness in him that maybe wasn't there before, and it's probably more reflective in the levels of communications, the conversations that you have with him in-game. He's present, he's aware, and he can articulate the things he is seeing."
Special teams and kick-off coverage were "unacceptable," Tomlin added when talking about the negatives of his team's 24-17 win. "We can't lose the field position component of play in the manner of which we did," Tomlin said.
"I don't have an update yet on (Najee) Harris and his abdomen," Tomlin said. "There was just not enough time since we landed, but as always, his participation, practice, and the quality of that participation will be our guide in terms of developing a role for him."
"They leaned on their strengths," Tomlin said of running backs Benny Snell (12 carries, 62 yards, one touchdown) and Anthony McFarland (six carries, 30 yards), who stepped up in Harris' absence. "They stayed within their skillset. Benny is a deliberate, one-cut, downhill runner. (McFarland) is bursty and explosive and good in space."
Other players like T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Larry Ogunjobi, and others took regular "bumps and bruises" and will be monitored throughout the week, but will likely not miss any game action.
"It's business," Tomlin said of the shorter week he and his team have to prepare for Atlanta. "We're not paid by the hour, we embrace that, we're competitors. It's a competitor's week."
Shifting his focus to the upcoming opponent, the Falcons, Tomlin began talking about the electric kick returner and running back, Cordarrelle Patterson. "His resume, what he has been, needs no endorsement from me," said Tomlin. "We have to minimize his impact on the game and that's no easy task," Tomlin stated.
"(Marcus) Mariota's mobility is a challenge," the "schematics" the Falcons employ for Mariota's mobility also are problematic.
Defensive coordinator Dean Pees is an accomplished, "been-there-done-that" member of the NFL, Tomlin said. "He's fundamentally sound, at the same time, he's aggressive."
From a player personnel standpoint, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is a dynamic, elite player. He can wreak havoc in the run-and-pass game. "They have deep edge people. Linebacker Rashaan Evans has played really good football for them. His productivity speaks for itself."
"In the backend, A.J. Terrell is really, really talented. He's aggressive and agile, he's got ball skills. They have a lot of talented young guys in the secondary, they utilize them all."
The Steelers will look to continue their winning ways on Sunday when they travel to Atlanta to battle the 5-7 Falcons. The game can be seen on KDKA-TV and kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m.