CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The loss to the Ravens put the Steelers in uncharted waters under Mike Tomlin. Yes, this team has been 5-8 under him once before, and managed to avoid a losing season by winning the final three games of 2013.
However, this team has not been 5-8 with four games remaining on the schedule. And just one more loss will hand Tomlin his first losing season at the head coach of the Steelers, and the franchise's first since 2003.
In all likelihood, the Steelers will finish under .500 this season. This team has stacked back-to-back wins only once this season. Expecting them to win four straight to close out the season seems like a fool's errand. And their next opponent, the Panthers, still has something they're actually fighting for. Even at 5-8, they have a shot to win their division, only because the NFC South is flat out awful.
But, Tomlin doesn't know how to punt on a season. He will push his team to try and win every single game, regardless of the circumstances. This is a standard that is set by Tomlin himself and runs down throughout the coaching staff, to the training staff, to the players and all the way down the the third-string water boy.
Tomlin's defensive coordinator embodied that attitude with one sharp comment during his Thursday availability this week.
"No, we're in the business of trying to win a game. I'm not in the business of trying to see who’s up for next year's varsity squad," Teryl Austin said this week when asked if he might take a look at some younger players given the circumstances of where the team is in the standings. "I want guys right now that can help us win a game, because our job is to win games now. And that's the only way I'll coach."
There are some that will fault Tomlin for pushing to win out the rest of the season. There are some that want the Steelers to lose as many games as possible to get the highest draft pick possible. There are even some who want the Steelers to lose just one more game to end his streak of non-losing seasons.
I've got some sad news for the latter. Tomlin's legacy as a head coach doesn't need that streak to be continued this season. His resumé is already a consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, regardless of whether the Steelers finish 9-8 or 5-12 in 2022.
But regardless of which group you part of, the benefit for why Tomlin pushes his team to try and win games, even when a potential top 10 pick is at their grasp by losing just a few games, came from Montravius Adams this week.
Adams was approached by the media in one of the locker room availabilities this week, primarily to answer questions about a reeling run defense. When asked about the challenge of trying to raise the level of physicality this week, Adams talked about the team bringing back a fully-padded practice, even when the players might not feel up to it this late in the season.
But, unsolicitedly, Adams went on to talk about why it means so much to him to push a little harder amid the struggles.
"At the end of the day something that means a lot to me is Coach T," Adams said. "Never had a losing season. I just don't want that to be under my belt. He is a guy that when I came in gave me a lot of morale to play better. I am sure a lot of guys in the locker room feel this way. We've got to get it right. When I sit back and think it's something that's on my mind. Just for the time I have (been here), the coaching staff and him have been great. What people say about him being a player's coach is all the way true. If we can't gel together for each other, at least we can do it for him."
Adams has barely spent more than a calendar year in that locker room. He was signed in November 2021 after being released three times by two teams in the prior three months. Earlier this year, Adams supplanted Tyson Alualu as the starting nose tackle. That didn't happen from Tomlin giving Adams an opportunity because of the team's record. According to Tomlin, Adams was simply player better than Alualu.
Just a few weeks ago, Anthony McFarland Jr. put together a strong performance at Indianapolis after being elevated from the practice squad to take place of an injured Jaylen Warren. And in that performance, McFarland showed a more urgent, aggressive style of running -- one we had not seen consistently in previous seasons -- in spite of having a solid camp and being on the practice squad all season.
Mark Robinson has been inactive virtually all season. He's only played one game this season, and only earned five special teams snaps in the process. With Myles Jack questionable for Sunday's game, and very hobbled with numerous injuries, Robinson could get a helmet and perhaps some playing time.
"He's always ready and always working," Tomlin said of Robinson on Friday. "He’s been one of those guys that's a healthy inactive. Oftentimes young guys fall into that category but not due to lack of work or continually preparing themselves. We'll see how we divide the labor up."
Connor Heyward has been far from a mainstay in the Steelers' offense. But, the times he's called upon, he's made the most out of the reps he's given. That's left a positive impression on the coaching staff.
"I think he has gotten better. I mean, he's been a guy that we've been high on since we got him, and I've been a fan of his. I think I've said that multiple times. I think he's certainly trending in the right direction, as Coach likes to say," Matt Canada said Thursday. "He made a really big catch, that was a tough catch over the middle on Sunday. I do think when you make those plays, your opportunities continue to grow and through injuries at different spots, different personnel groups, different plans, all those things kind of factor into it."
That right there, what Canada said, is the precedent that is set. Snaps aren't given because of external circumstances like the team's record or what position they need to draft next spring.
Snaps are earned. That keeps the players hungry and forces them to make the most out of every precious snap they get. And if players become defeated and give up, Tomlin weeds out the players that don't have the drive to prove the coaching staff that they belong.
This precedent is what helps establish a winning culture. It may not result in a winning season in 2022, and we'll spend plenty of time after the season going over why the Steelers failed to avoid their first losing season in 19 years.
As attractive as higher draft picks sound in April, remember there are players in that locker room right now that figure into the future just as much as those selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. And the best recipe for long-term success is to hold everyone to the high expectation of winning.
So, if the Steelers win Sunday, don't mourn a lower slot in the first round. Celebrate the fact that the team was able to bounce back from a tough defeat, go on the road and win a game without their starting quarterback against a team fighting for a division title.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (5-8) vs. Panthers (5-8)
• What: Week 15, regular season
• When: Sunday, 1 p.m.
• Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
• Spread: Carolina, -3.0
• Over/Under: 37.5
• Weather: Sunny 43°, 0% chance rain, 6 mph wind
• TV: CBS (national)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 385, online 826
• Box score: DKPS
• Team media guides: Steelers | Panthers
• Official game notes: Steelers | Panthers
THE INJURY REPORT
• Steelers: QB Kenny Pickett (concussion) was originally listed as doubtful, but has been ruled OUT. LB Myles Jack (groin) was also listed as doubtful, but was upgraded to QUESTIONABLE. CB Josh Jackson (ankle), WR Diontae Johnson (hip), CB Cam Sutton (neck/stinger), RB Najee Harris (hip), TE Pat Freiermuth (foot), DT Cam Heyward (vet rest) and DL Larry Ogunjobi (toe) were all limited in some form this week, but do not carry an injury designation into Sunday's game.
• Panthers: LB Brandon Smith (Ankle) is ruled OUT. WR D.J. Moore (ankle), S Xavier Woods (knee) and WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (shoulder) are all listed as QUESTIONABLE.
THE KEY VARIABLE
Heading into the weekend, Tomlin didn't make it known who might start in place of Pickett is case he wasn't cleared. And when the Steelers' head coach declared Pickett as doubtful on Friday afternoon at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, he decided to wait until Saturday to officially announce who the starter might be.
"We’ve got some clarity about where we're going. There’s just no need to land the plane until it's required to land the plane," Tomlin explained Friday. "I like the work that we've gotten from Mitch and Mason this week. Both guys have split reps and seen enough situations and not only what they've done this week, but the totality of what they've done makes us extremely comfortable in terms of considering both guys. So, we're comfortable."
Of course, now we know that Mitch Trubisky will be the starting quarterback. And he's coming off a game where he completed 22 of 30 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown in relief of Pickett last week. But, he also threw three interceptions -- all inside the Baltimore 20-yard line.
The former first-round pick of the Bears has more experience in this particular offense than Mason Rudolph, but the Steelers needed to be as prepared as possible for Pickett's potential absence while he recovers from his second concussion in eight weeks.
"Part of that is we're making sure we're in a situation where everybody's ready to play," Canada said. "We've had two quarterbacks playing all year and Mason has been a third and hasn't had a lot of reps at all. You want to prepare your football team to get ready to play. I don't think it's that abnormal to get them both ready, give them reps."
It's been nearly an entire calendar year since Rudolph has seen the field. His last appearance in a regular season game came against at Kansas City on Dec. 26 last season. In addition, Rudolph hasn't even received a helmet once this season.
Even so, the Steelers seem to be comfortable with either Trubisky or Rudolph.
As for the difference between the two and how the Steelers might have game-planned differently between the two, Canada explained this week they don't alter game plans for either quarterback. Rather, the little nuances of what each quarterback likes to do may alter what exact play is called in particular situations (third down, red zone, etc.).
With Trubisky, the timid style witnessed in the first three and a half game seems to be gone. His aggressive play against Baltimore not only resulted in an eye-popping 9.2 yards per attempt, but helped the offense move the ball at a season-high 6.2 yards per play.
However, Rudolph's experience with this team could be beneficial in case Trubisky were to go down with an injury or even play poorly. Remember, Rudolph started eight games during a whirlwind 2019 season, and went 5-3 as a starter that year.
"We're fortunate to have a deep quarterback room," Canada said. "We have guys who have all started. Mason has started games. Mitch has obviously started a lot of football games. Mason has started games for us in the past. You never want to be in this situation, but we're in as good a spot as we could be where we're at. We just have to proceed forward and get ready to play."
THE HISTORY LESSON
There aren't a lot of games to go back to in this series. The Steelers and Panthers have only played each other seven times since Carolina became an expansion team in 1996. That's actually tied with the Texans for the fewest number of meetings the Steelers have had with any opponent since the 1970 merger.
The Steelers have dominated this series, winning six of the seven matchups. The only loss came in the first game between these two teams in 1996. Pittsburgh lost, 18-14, and the highlight of the game for the Steelers came on an 80-yard touchdown run by Kordell Stewart. That was the NFL record for the longest touchdown run by a quarterback until it was broken by Raiders' quarterback Terrelle Pryor in 2013 against ... the Steelers.
Since then, Pittsburgh has won six straight, and none of them have really been all that close. The closest margin of victory came in the second meeting between the franchises in December of 1999, and Pittsburgh won, 30-20, at Three Rivers Stadium.
The Steelers have scored at least 30 points in all but one of the victories over the Panthers, and that lone win was a 27-3 beating on Dec. 23, 2010. Panthers' quarterback Jimmy Clausen was held to just 72 yards passing in the game, despite Troy Polamalu's absence due to injury. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 320 yards and a touchdown, while adding another touchdown on a quarterback sneak. However, this was far from his most dominant performance against Carolina.
In the most recent meeting with the Panthers, Roethlisberger faced off against Cam Newton and outplayed him in every fashion. Roethlisberger finished the night with 328 passing yards and five touchdown passes while Newton was sacked five times while producing 193 yards in the air and only 10 yards on the ground. The Steelers won the game, 52-21, but fans try to forget what followed.
While the Steelers wound up beating Jacksonville the following week for their sixth straight win, they lost four of their final six games and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
Heading into the win over the Falcons, the Steelers ranked sixth in the NFL with 4.0 yards per carry against and ranked seventh with 104.0 rushing yards allowed per game. However, this defense has given up 361 yards on the ground over the past two weeks, and the challenges on the ground won't stop this Sunday.
The Panthers are averaging 154.6 rushing yards per game in the eight games since they traded away Christian McCaffrey. Ironically enough, they were only averaging 90.3 rushing yards per game in the six games before they shipped him to San Francisco.
Obviously, the question is how exactly does a team get better at running the football after trading away one of the premier running backs in the NFL?
"I think they have a commitment to really running it and maybe a different style of running game than when they had McCaffrey," Austin said Thursday. "They're going to try to get four hands on a couple of different linemen and get some push inside and let the big back move the pile. So, it may not be as explosive and as sexy as when McCaffrey was in there, but it really is effective, and it continues to move the chains. I think that's really what they're doing, they're holding the ball a little bit longer. They're able to move it that way. So, instead of having a bunch of 20, 25-yard runs, they’re going to have a bunch of six and seven-yard runs and keep the chains moving. I think that's probably why it's been a little bit more effective."
Last week, the Panthers ran for 223 yards at Seattle with four ball carriers accounting for at least 30 rushing yards. D'Onta Foreman is the lead back in the Carolina backfield, but Chuba Hubbard has carved out a role as a nice complement to him.
Regardless of what the Panthers do, the Steelers are focused more on themselves and their failures in the running game. That led to the first padded practice in a few weeks on Wednesday and more studying in the film room, particular looking at what they were doing well prior to the game in Atlanta and some significant study on what went wrong the past two weeks.
Running fully-padded practices this last in the season can be a bit dangerous. Players are nursing all kinds of bumps and bruises this time of year, regardless of who shows up on the injury report. However, the Steelers are making a concerted effort to be more physical this week, and that precedent was set in practice.
"I don't have any concerns. I think the reason you have those things is because obviously the last few weeks we have not played the run well," Austin said of the decision to practice in pads Wednesday. "I don't think you can play the run well if you're not practicing it. If we go out and say, “Hey, listen, we want you to put your hands on a guy, make sure you're tacking this, get off the block and do that,” you're not going to do that when there's no pads on. We thought we needed it to continue because we want to improve what we are doing in the run game. It’s a necessary evil and it's part of our business. I'm not worried about it. That's what we’ve got to do to try to win."
10 DATA POINTS
• Every game the Steelers have won this year, they scored first. In every game they have lost, their opponent scored first.
• The Steelers are 5-1 this year when they don't turn the ball over. They are 0-7 when they do.
• Diontae Johnson's 82 receiving yards against the Ravens last week was his most since Week 3. That's back when Trubisky was the starting quarterback. With Trubisky under center this year, Johnson has been targeted on 26.7 percent of his routes. With Pickett, he's targeted only 20.8 percent of the time.
• Brian Burns has 10 of the Panthers' 28 sacks, and he has recorded at least half of a sack in five straight games.
• The Panthers allowed just 46 rushing yards last week. Overall, they rank 24th in the NFL, allowing 128.8 rushing yards per game.
• The Steelers are undefeated this season when they score first. Panthers' opponents are scoring an average of 1.5 points in the first quarter, which is far and away the best in the NFL.
• Over their last five games, the Steelers have converted 50 percent of their third down attempts (34 of 68). Over the past three games, only Dallas has a better third down conversion rate. Carolina's defense ranks 22nd on third downs this year.
• The Panthers convert on 28.7 percent of their third downs, which is third-worst in the NFL.
• Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds never left the field against the Ravens, and Damontae Kazee was also on the field for 59 percent of the defensive snaps. The Steelers really like their three-safety look.
• The Steelers have allowed 18 or fewer points in six of their last eight games.
THE FANTASY CORNER
Last week's lineup didn't provide any duds, but didn't provide any stars either. Finished just outside of earning some money. Here's my lineup for Week 15 (with a $50,000 salary cap on DraftKings):
• QB: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars ($6,000)
• RB1: Tony Pollard, Cowboys ($7,100)
• RB2: Miles Sanders, Eagles ($6,500)
• WR1: Keenan Allen, Chargers ($6,800)
• WR2: Garrett Wilson, Jets ($6,000)
• WR3: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chiefs ($5,800)
• TE: Evan Engram, Jaguars ($3,800)
• FLEX: Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs ($5,200)
• DEF/ST: Patriots ($2,800)
It seems like a bold move going with not one but two Jaguars against a tough Cowboys' pass defense, but Lawrence is really coming along in his second year. He's playing the best football he's played as a pro, and Engram is his favorite target right now. Pollard and Sanders should provide two productive days in favorable matchups.
Allen is on fire right now, Wilson remains consistent and Smith-Schuster appears to be finding his place back in the Chiefs' offense again. I'm going with McKinnon in the flex due to the favorable matchup against the Texans. Finally, the Patriots' defense is one of the most productive in fantasy football. They're a steal at $2,800.
