Head coach Mike Tomlin could have pumped his chest a bit after Week 9. Tomlin has preached his team getting back to its turnover culture after each of its last two losses. Behind six takeaways Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers upset the Indianapolis Colts 27-20.
But instead of vindication, Tomlin seemed to express a ho-hum attitude after Sunday’s win. When asked to explain how his defense turned things around so quickly after two straight terrible performances, Tomlin suggested that’s how it goes playing in the NFL.
The head coach used one of his more famous 1-liners to convey that message.
“It’s a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes in this business,” said Tomlin.
“It’s nothing dramatic; it’s really not. And that’s why we respect it so much. A couple plays here and there, it might have been different last week … That’s football at this level.
“It’s a limited number of plays or sequences that can really change the trajectory of an outcome. We’re still the same group that stunk it up last week. That’s football.”
Steelers Create QB Pressure, Splash Plays Come on Defense
There’s a lot of truth to Tomlin’s point. The Steelers didn’t have any takeaways in their previous three games. But there were a couple occasions where they could have forced a turnover. Had that happened, the outcomes in Week 7 or 8 could have been different.
On Sunday, the Steelers capitalized on those opportunities, registering six takeaways for the first time since 2010. Thanks to those takeaways, Tomlin’s defense really looked nothing like the unit the past two weeks.
The Steelers can credit their splash plays to the team’s pass rush.
In the previous two games, the team had just two sacks. Against the Colts, the Steelers had five sacks, two of which led to two of the team’s six takeaways.
The most important takeaway of the afternoon came from the Steelers old warhorse — T.J. Watt. The five-time All-Pro beat the Colts right tackle off the edge for a sack fumble early with the team trailing early in the second quarter. Watt also recovered the loose ball.
The play ended a promising Colts drive. The Steelers also scored a touchdown off the takeaway.
“It was everything,” Tomlin said of Watt’s defensive play. “We were running on the beach offensively. We needed a short field. Like all great players do, he provided it when we needed it most.”
Steelers Upset Colts Behind Six Takeaways
Watt finished with three total tackles, including a tackle for loss to go with the sack fumble and recovery. Alex Highsmith registered two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Defensive lineman Keeanu Benton and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. also had sacks. Porter recorded his first interception of the season as well.
Other Steelers defenders also had strong performances. Linebacker Payton Wilson was everywhere. He had 14 total tackles, two pass defenses and an interception. One of Wilson’s tipped passes led to another interception.
Pittsburgh tallied 24 of its 27 points off takeaways in the victory.
“It was complimentary football,” Tomlin said. “But that’s what happens when you take the ball away from people, man. It feeds itself.
“That’s probably one of the more disappointing things about the stretch that we were one. We weren’t taking the ball away. That’s a lifeblood for us, not only as a defense but as a football team. It’s a catalyst for how we engineer victory.”
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