Dunlap: Pass To Brown Just Plain Selfish
The Steelers won on Sunday.
Good.
They moved their record to 3-2.
Good.
They beat a lowly – and still winless -- Jacksonville team, 17-9.
Good.
A win is a win is a win …
But something doesn't sit right with me.
Less than a week after Mike Tomlin spoke at his Tuesday media gathering about discipline, and after the head coach seemed to not take kindly to the notion --- even indicating his race was a factor --- that he was a player's coach, Tomlin got walked all over on Sunday by a couple of his guys.
More than that, Tomlin was complicit in allowing Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown to risk a team win for attaining a personal milestone for Brown.
And, mind you, this is the same Brown who Tomlin said – less than a week ago – needs to act like he's been there before when scoring a touchdown as opposed to celebrating and risking being flagged for a penalty.
Anyhow, here's the scene on Sunday against the Jaguars: The Steelers at the Jacksonville 33, up by 8 points, coming out of the two-minute warning and the Jaguars without a timeout.
This is simple.
Victory formation, take a knee a couple of times, get dressed and fly home with a W.
Uh, no.
Instead, on first down out of that two-minute warning, the Steelers offense was in shotgun and Roethlisberger threw a quick pass to Brown that went for 16 yards. Brown, in his infinite wisdom as the clock was the Steelers' greatest friend, stepped out of bounds at the end of the play.
What the heck were the Steelers doing in shotgun risking a bad snap?
What the heck were the Steelers doing throwing the ball risking an interception in a one-possession game?
What the heck were the Steelers doing running any play that wasn't a Victory Formation kneel down?
You see, Brown needed to make a catch to keep some obscure record alive wherein the receiver has now caught at least five passes in a game for 50 yards, 21 consecutive times.
What a joke.
Not only is that record about as obscure and indistinct as any in NFL history, but the bigger point remains --- this team, with Tomlin signing off, put a much-needed win at risk.
However small, they added risk just so some guy can say he has some individual record.
The standard is the standard, huh Mike?
In the postgame media session, Roethlisberger was asked if it was kneel-down time when the offense came onto the field following the two-minute warning.
"It was, but [Brown] needed one more catch to keep his five-catches streak going," he said.
Positively unconscionable that the leader of the offense, the franchise quarterback in this case, would put a win even in the smallest glimmer of balance more than it needs to be in order for someone to attain an individual record.
But it is worse that his coach didn't nix the idea.
And Roethlisberger, of all people, should understand games aren't over until that final horn blares and end-game situations are no time for screwing around. Does he not remember a Jan., 2006 day inside a dome when he had to run like hell to catch Nick Harper?
So how did it all happen on Sunday against Jacksonville; who decided it would be a good idea to run such a play and not the Victory Formation as the braintrust huddled during the two-minute warning?
"I went over to coach," said Roethlisberger of Tomlin. "We obviously knew we could take a knee. And I went to [Tomlin] and I knew [Brown] needed one. And I asked coach if we could do it. I called that specific play because I knew it was kind of an easy one to get him the ball.
"I'm not always a fan of doing things like that because bad things can happen, but a guy like that deserves it. He deserves to get the ball to keep his record going because of the work and dedication that he brings to this team, to the game, to the organization.
"I was just glad that the coaches were OK with it and that he got it."
Indeed, it all worked out. Ben got his way, AB got his catch, the streak stayed alive and it all came with the blessing of Tomlin and ended up with the Steelers taking a knee a few times thereafter to kill the rest of the clock off.
But I will tell you what I never want to hear from Tomlin again …
About how there is a "team first" mentality with all his guys.
Or about how players need to "act like they've been there before."
It's Tomlin who needs to start acting like he's been there before. And, when faced with a moment where a couple players want to put personal glory ahead of the team, the coach is the one who needs to provide a voice of reason, not some foolhardy encouragement.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weeknights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
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