Why Steelers must not panic after tough loss to Eagles
12/16/2024 09:15 PM
After getting whipped by the Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers got good news on the T.J. Watt injury front. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin delivered a blunt message. And the Steelers must not panic after the tough loss to the Eagles.
Tomlin said it succinctly, according to espn.com.
“It’s a loss,” he said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “Let’s not be dramatic.”
After the Steelers still clinched a spot in the postseason fray despite the 27-13 setback.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Steelers still have a chance
It's the type of loss that can hurt a team from a mental standpoint. the Eagles represent the type of team the Steelers will face in January. The fact they didn't stand up well is a painful thing.
But Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts has a good viewpoint.
“If you have to learn a lesson, a quick lesson, in a December football game against a different conference, sometimes it could be a benefit,” Roberts said. “I’ve been on the other side of that, and at the end of the year I still was holding what we all wanted to hold.
“I’m not using that for any type of pat on the back, but I’m using it as a reason to move forward in the right direction, but we need to fix what we need to fix quickly.”
It helps that the Steelers have a veteran team. Guys like T.J. Watt and Russell Wilson should be able to hold the focus. And Roberts said the team won't panic.
“One thing about our team is we’re very mature,” Roberts said. “Our younger guys are very mature as well, so you just keep the noise out. I think the noise can maybe blindside an immature team, but with us, it’s a very mature team, and hey, hats off to the Eagles. They came in today, and they won the game. Period. There’s no excuses behind it. But what we can do, we can look at this film hard, we can fix what we need to fix [on] offense, defense and special teams.”
Wilson added that the team can bounce back strong.
“We will have to determine how great we can be,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot more football left, and I think we have the right guys. I think that the biggest thing is that any great team has to respond. You’re going to have adversity, you’re going to have ups and downs. We can’t flinch.”
Steelers shift focus to Ravens
The best news for the Steelers is they can turn things around by beating the Ravens. Tomlin said he's excited about what's ahead, according to Steelers.com.
“Really excited about this opportunity for obvious reasons,” said Tomlin. “It’s a divisional game … a road divisional game. It’s Baltimore. I understand the nature of this rivalry and the amount of attention that it brings, and it’s exciting and humbling to be a part of it.
“While at the same time we’ve got an opportunity to pursue a division championship this week. We’re excited. We respect this process of preparation. We’re going to display our excitement by getting singularly focused on what it is that we need to do to prepare.”
Having Watt would help matters. The Steelers are 1-10 in games Watt doesn’t play.
“All the rushmen are a significant component when you face quarterback mobility, particularly (Baltimore’s) Lamar Jackson,” Tomlin said. “You know, the addition of Preston has been significant for us. He’s a veteran. He knows what to do. He’s highly skilled. He’s done a nice job of fitting in. We’ve gotten quality production from our edge people, regardless of who’s in the game, and I expect that to continue.”
Steelers have work to do
With a slim one-game lead over the Ravens, the Steelers (10-4) don't have much of a margin for error.
Things don't get much easier with the Chiefs and Bengals remaining on the schedule as well.
Pittsburgh is far from a favorite in the AFC. But playing at home could make a critical difference for their postseason hopes. If they lose each of their last three games, they'll likely be playing every game on the road.
It's not time to panic, but a loss to the Ravens could change things in a hurry.
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