“It’s Disappointing”: Mike Tomlin Evaluates Steelers’ “Sloppy Performance” in Preseason Opener

An honest Mike Tomlin observed that the wounds his team suffered were “inflicted on ourselves” as he detailed how the Steelers lost to the Texans without putting up much of a fight in the preseason opener on Friday. Looking back at the Steelers’ 12-20 loss, the experienced head coach detailed two big mistakes that cost them the game.

According to Tomlin, the Steelers ran out of bounds without being forced on a punt, which provided “awesome field position” for the Texans. Addressing the post-game presser, the 52-year-old recalled his team “muffed a punt” that produced seven points.

“You can’t play football like that and think we’re going to be in games,” remarked the top head coach, as he summed up the loss with brutally honest words:

“You know really a sloppy performance, to be honest with you…We work too hard to have the results we had, so tonight it’s disappointing.”

The 2x Super Bowl-winning coach outlined the Steelers’ need to produce a “good rapid response” against the Bills next week. Josh Allen and his men will appear for this game after a 33-6 blowout loss against the Bears. 

The winner of the Bills vs Steelers game will gain the much-required momentum, after a forgettable first week in the preseason.

Earlier in the presser, Tomlin confirmed the Steelers will go “aggressive” while lamenting his team missed out on many chances, including “giving up a touchdown on the third and long in the safety rotation.”

Meanwhile, Tomlin has already prepared the revival plan to ensure a better performance in the next week.

Tomlin aims to rectify mistakes back at training camp

Even though the head coach was critical about the loss, the Steelers players wouldn’t mind his negative evaluation as they need to buckle up before the new season. Interestingly, Tomlin admitted it was a “JV performance on the offense, defense, and special teams.”

He is now working on the training camp, to offer a detailed breakdown on how to bounce back quickly by next week. The Steelers will finish their camp at Saint Vincent College on Sunday before the Bills game. The camp appears important as Tomlin is expected to recreate the plays that the Steelers missed on the Friday game. 

In addition, experienced Russell Wilson is all set to make his Steelers debut next week as the HC will be hoping to evaluate the teams’ offensive game. Wilson will look to perform to the fullest and seal the QB1 spot after Justin Fields’ debatable show against the Texans.