The Pittsburgh Steelers saved their season with a dramatic Week 14 road win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh moved to 7-6 with the win, regaining control of its own destiny with four games to play. Ultimately, the season might still come down to a Week 18 rematch with the Ravens for the AFC North, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is not looking ahead.
In fact, after the Steelers held on to win in Baltimore, reporters spotted the coach sending a message to quarterback Aaron Rodgers on their way back to the locker room.
“Monday night ball at the house,” Tomlin reminded Rodgers, as seen in a video from Steewlers reporter Brendan Howe.
The Steelers host the Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football” in Week 15.
Mike Tomlin Keeps Focus on Dolphins After Massive Win
In his postgame press conference, Tomlin spoke glowingly about how proud he was of his team’s effort.
“Awesome team win. I’m just appreciative of the effort of the men in that locker room. It’s classic Steelers vs. Ravens,” Tomlin told reporters after the game. ” … Big win for us, obviously, in a hostile environment, and we’ll keep moving.”
That win was made even more impressive by the long list of injuries the Steelers suffered during the game on top of the issues they faced coming into the contest.
Three players — Darnell Washington, Malik Harrison and Andrus Peat — suffered concussions, and Keenau Benton suffered an ankle injury. Still, the word of the day for Tomlin was “aggressive.”
“I think we were in an aggressive posture all day. I just think that’s how we got out of bed this morning,” he said. “That’s what’s required when you’re playing these guys in their venue … I just think that’s the way we needed to play. We needed to be aggressive.”
Steelers, Tomlin Quiet Doubters for At Least One Week
There might have been some added motivation, too. It wasn’t an easy week for Pittsburgh. The Steelers were underdogs going into Baltimore and hadn’t inspired much confidence in an ugly Week 13 home loss to Buffalo. Questions about Tomlin’s job security swirled, and Rodgers made sure to respond to that after a vintage performance of his own (23-for-34, 284 yards, one touchdown).
“(The win) means maybe you guys (the media) will shut the hell up for the week,” Rodgers snapped in his postgame press conference.
While the Steelers certainly feel good after upending their rivals on the road, they can’t take anything for granted. Their playoff odds, according to ESPN.com, jumped 36%, all the way to 68.6% with the win. That can change just as quickly with a slip-up on Monday night.
“The Steelers also have a much easier schedule moving forward than the Ravens, who have three of their final four games on the road,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote, while also adding, “Maybe the fans who chanted ‘Fire Tomlin’ will let their coach stick around for next week’s home game against the Dolphins.”
The Steelers open as 3.5-point favorites against Miami for the Week 15 finale, as the Dolphins also cling to their own playoff hopes. The Dolphins need a borderline miracle to reach the postseason, but they almost certainly need to win out and are likely to be geared up for the clash at Acrisure Stadium.
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