Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained the 10 players on the field error against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The end result was a Jordan Love completion to a wide-open Romeo Doubs on a two-point conversion to extend Green Bay’s lead to 22-19 early in the fourth quarter.
Tomlin said that Brandin Echols was playing in place of Darius Slay on the two-point conversion, and Echols thought the Packers were going for an extra point, so he never got on the field.
“Echols was in for Slay,” Tomlin explained during his Tuesday press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Echols thought they were going for one. I think he came off the field because he is not on field goal block, and we weren’t able to get the transitional component of that.
“That happens from time to time when you’re rolling a lot of people. You never like it. But the reality is the more people you play, the more complex rotations are, particularly when rotations get abnormal.”
A mishap like that is crucial in a close ball game. The Steelers fell apart in the second half, so it wasn’t the sole reason for the loss. Imagine if the Steelers lost by a field goal, though? Nevertheless, it’s an inexcusable mistake.
The Steelers currently rank 30th in total defense. They’re on track to be the worst in franchise history. It’s clear that the Steelers are performing below expectations on defense, and the coaching has certainly been below the line.
Tomlin stood up for defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Tuesday.
“You know, I’ve known Teryl a long time,” Tomlin said. “He’s very capable, he’s very thorough. I’ve largely been pleased with his work, but certainly, he and I are not pleased with where e are from a defensive unit perspective, and so we’re just gonna keep working.”
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Explains 10 Players on the Field Snafu vs. Packers
