Just like I perdicted
Tomlin’s overconfidence costs Steelers in loss to Baltimore
Nameless, gray faces.
That is the term Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin likes to use when talking about his upcoming opponent. In his mind, it is a way of eliminating distractions and it helps his team focus primarily on their play. As a result, we’ve heard Tomlin use this phrase hundreds of times during his tenure as the Steelers’ head coach.
On Sunday though, it cost him.
The Steelers went into Baltimore this week looking to cement their position in the playoffs with an easy victory over their rival, who are down on their luck. The Ravens had lost their last three games by a combined score of 82-35 and started a quarterback who just joined the team 10 days ago. So, naturally, the Steelers were a 10-point favorite, despite being on the road.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh though, it wasn’t the easy game everyone expected. The Steelers struggled to get going on offense and ended up losing the game 20-17. The loss puts the Steelers on the outside looking in for the playoffs with just one-week left to play. They’ll need to win their last game against the Browns next week and they’ll need the Jets to lose in Buffalo.
But it shouldn’t have been this way. The Steelers should have rolled over the Ravens as everyone expected. Honestly, they would have if it weren’t for a questionable first quarter decision by Tomlin.
To start the game, Pittsburgh got the football first and immediately started to dominate with the running game. They marched down the field, but were eventually faced with a relatively short fourth down on the Ravens’ 25-yard line.
At this point, Tomlin could have easily sent his kicker out and given the Steelers an early lead. Although Pittsburgh had their problems with kickers early in the season, Chris Boswell has quickly become one of the more reliable kickers in the NFL for the Steelers. He’s made 26 out of the 28 kicks he has attempted, which is good for the sixth best percentage in the NFL.
But instead of taking the three points, Tomlin left his offense on the field and attempted to get the first down. Pittsburgh ran the ball with DeAngelo Williams, but he was held up short and the Steelers came away from the first drive empty handed.
Now I understand the logic behind this decision. The Steelers were running the ball very efficiently and it didn’t seem like Baltimore could stop them. There was really no reason to think they wouldn’t get the one-yard.
The problem is the Ravens gained a lot of confidence by stopping Pittsburgh. It was confidence they hadn’t felt it quite some time. It gave them momentum for the first time in weeks and it drastically changed the game. No longer was it a game between a 9-5 team and a 4-10 team. It was now a rivalry game.
And that was exactly what Pittsburgh didn’t want to happen. The three points would have kept the Ravens’ confidence down and risking that was not worth the risk. It certainly wasn’t in this case, as Pittsburgh ended up losing by, oddly enough, three points.
Hopefully the decision doesn’t cost the Steelers a playoff spot.
http://www.todayspigskin.com/afc-to...nfidence-costs-steelers-in-loss-to-baltimore/