The 2009 season was a disappointment overall for Steelers fans, but it did offer up some very enjoyable and memorable plays. Below I have ranked what I believe to be the top 15 most memorable plays of the 2009 season. The countdown will start at #15 and go backwards to #1.
#15 The Big Legursky - Backup center Doug Legursky got to play fullback on a short touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall against the Chargers. Legursky makes a nice block on the play, but it was the last time we saw him in that role in 2009.
#14 Rashard Extra Effort - Rashard Mendenhall had a great sophomore season for the Steelers and proved he can handle the role of an every down back. His second effort and ability to bounce outside made for a great touchdown run against the Raiders.
#13 Getting Ziggy With It - Rookie Ziggy Hood gets a pleasant gift after LaMarr Woodley hits Joe Flacco and the ball pops out into Hood's hands. The turnover all but sealed the win against the Ravens in a must win game.
#12 Throwing Mewelde - Mewelde Moore showed off his passing ability against the Chargers with a bullet to Heath Miller in the back of the endzone.
#11 Big Ben Mikey Bomb Part I - Mike Wallace had only 2 catches in the game versus Green Bay. This one started the game and was the first play from scrimmage. I think we all remember his 2nd catch of the day as well. More on that later.
#10 Big Ben Mikey Bomb Part II - Big Ben Roethlisberger nearly hits rookie Mike Wallace right in stride on this long bomb for a touchdown in the final week of the season. Ben shows he still has the arm in his 16th game of the year. Wallace shows why he was a steal in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft.
#9 Dixon Shows Bootlegs - Dennis Dixon showed off his legs on a key bootleg run for a touchdown run against the Ravens. The play put the Steelers ahead in the 4th quarter and gave the Steelers a shot at winning in a tough situation.
#8 Carter Pick 6 - Tyrone Carter started in the place of Ryan Clark in Denver and showed why he is a much better free safety than strong safety. Carter picked off Broncos QB Kyle Orton and returned it for a 48 yard touchdown.
#7 Dixon Comes Of Age - Dennis Dixon really took a huge step forward in the week 12 game versus the Ravens. Dixon started in place of an injured Big Ben and Charlie Batch with limited practice snaps with the first team and played great in a hostile enviroment. Dixon showed off his strong arm with as he throws his first TD pass of his career to Santonio Holmes.
#6 Hines Steals One - In the first meeting against the Browns, Hines Ward cut in front of Santonio Holmes and caught a touchdown pass intended for Holmes. At the time, it was the longest play from scrimmage of the 2009 season.
#5 Heath Miller On His Toes - Heath Miller had a career year for the Steelers making catch after key catch. His best catch of the season probably came in the last game versus the Dolphins. Miller shows off his body control and awareness with a great catch in the back of the endzone for a touchdown.
#4 Run Woodley Run - The strip of Brett Favre by Brett Keisel led to a long and exciting rumble by LaMarr Woodley. The Vikings were driving deep in Steelers territory at the time and this was one of 3 key plays for the Steelers in an action packed game.
#3 Sly As A Fox - Keyaron Fox had a great 2009 despite playing limited snaps on defense. Fox would likely be a starting linebacker on 31 NFL teams. The interception and return for a touchdown was a huge turning point in the Vikings game.
#2 Polamalu One Handed Pick - The Troy Polamalu interception in week 1 versus the Titans was one of the best interceptions all year in the NFL. Little did we know that a little bit later in the game that Polamalu would suffer an injury that affected the entire 2009 season.
#1 Mikey Does Santonio Imitation - The touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to rookie Mike Wallace against the Packers was reminiscent of the game winning catch Santonio Holmes made in Super Bowl XLIII. The catch was only his second off the game as well. The Steelers hopes of making the playoffs would of gone out the window had Wallace not made that catch.
The Steelers 2009 season showed many holes that the Steelers need to address during the 2010 NFL draft. Below I will list I what I feel the draft needs are going into the draft. These are in no particular order and I will have my mock draft up pretty soon in the coming days.
Nose Tackle - Regardless if the Steelers decide to franchise Casey Hampton or not, the Steelers need a young 3-4 nose tackle in waiting. There are rumblings a future shift to a 4-3 defense may be coming in future years, but I do not see this happening while Dick LeBeau is still in charge of the defense. If one is drafted, you could see one that is a bit lighter and mobile that could transition into a 4-3 interior defensive tackle.
Inside Linebacker - James Farrior has definetly lost a step. A 3 down inside linebacker that has leadership qualities is needed badly. One that can play the pass as well as the run. A future captain for the defense could very well be drafted this year and play both inside and outside while delivering on special teams in his rookie year.
Cornerback - The Steelers drafred Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis in 2009. Burnett is still learning and Lewis barely saw the field. Neither showed qualities of being a shut down corner. William Gay and old man Deshea Townsend are both free agents and both are only fringe nickel corners at best if either are brought back.
Safety - Other than Troy Polamalu, the Steelers are weak at the both strong and free safety. Ryan Clark and Tyrone Carter are both free agents and even if Clark is brought back, father time has caught up with him. You could see both a strong and free safety addressed in the draft. Hopefully both are hitters who can make an instant impact on special teams.
Offensive Line - You can never have enough good offensive linemen. The Steelers have 4 of the 5 starters under contract and Ramon Foster proved he can be a swing guy. A left tackle that can play both sides early on would be a welcome sight. A center needs to be groomed for the future as well.
Running Back - Rashard Mendenhall showed he can fit the role of a 3 down running back, but with Willie Parker likely gone and Mewelde Moore being a 3rd down back only, it leaves the Steelers with a bulky Frank Summers and practice squaders Isaac Redman and Justin Vincent as the only true backups to Mendenhall. If Summers is groomed as a pure fullback, then the Steelers are even thinner at the position.
Right Defensive End - Brett Keisel will be 32 in mid September and Nick Eason is a free agent. A young right defensive end is needed to get groomed fast. Rookie Ziggy Hood is better suited on the left side, but regardless, the defensive line needs younger bodies.
Tight End - Matt Spaeth is a free agent and not a blocking tight end. Heath Miller will be the man for a while, but the other tight ends on the roster are mostly H-Backs. A true duel threat tight end that can both block and catch should be addressed. If nothing else for depth in case Miller were to go down or need a breather.
Two of the most pressing offseason things the Steelers will need to do, outside of the draft and free agency, is to get contract extensions done with wide receiver Santonio Holmes and linebacker LaMarr Woodley. Both players enter 2010 with it being their final years on their contracts. Both Holmes and Woodley put up career numbers with Holmes falling 1 reception short of 80 on the season and Woodley closing out the 2009 season by registering at least a half a sack or better for the final 8 games.
The contract extension that Holmes is likely to receive will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 9-10 million a year. It has been rumored that it will be similar to the extension that Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings signed this past year. The deal could be loaded with heavy incentives to allow the Steelers to both pay him, yet protect the organization as well. Woodley on the other hand might be looking for a deal similar to that of Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Ware signed a six-year contract extension through 2015 worth $78 million, with $40 million guaranteed. The deal included a $20 million signing bonus. The Cowboys gave Ware an additional $5 million for the 2009 season, increasing his base salary to $6.005 million.
The Steelers like to get new deals done in prior to training camps, as they do not like to negotiate once the season begins. Last offseason they got deals done with franchised offensive tackle Max Starks, wide receiver Hines Ward, linebacker James Harrison, guard Chris Kemoeatu, defensive end Brett Keisel and tight end Heath Miller to name a few. With 2010 looming to be an uncapped season, the sooner they can get these deals done the better. Look for talks to open with both these players folowing the Super Bowl.
Below are the pre-game inactive players list of both the Steelers and the Dolphins. The inactive list are released 90 minutes before game time.
Steelers Inactives
S Troy Polamalu
QB Charlie Batch (3rd)
T Tony Hills
G Kraig Urbik
WR Joey Galloway
DE Brett Keisel
DE Ra'Shon Harris
CB Trae Williams
Dolphins Inactives
QB Tyler Thigpen (3rd)
DE Ryan Baker
CB Evan Oglesby
OL Andrew Hartline
T Andrew Gardner
DE Lionel Dotson
DE Ikaika Alama-Francis
WR Patrick Turner
Below are seven matchups or things to look for on Sunday as the Steelers take on the Miami Dolphins.
Wildcat Hunting - The Steelers struggled against the Browns offense that ran Joshua Cribbs out of the Wildcat. The Dolphins run it without many flaws. Even though running back Ronnie Brown is missing, the Dolphins offense can still run the package.
Cold Ginn Time - We all now about the problems the Steelers have had on special teams this year. Dolphins return man Ted Ginn Jr. is dangerous in the return game and Anthony Madison will need to lead the coverage teams in tracking down the game breaker.
Laying The Wood - Left outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley has been on fire lately and will have to keep it going against Dolphins right tackle Vernon Carey. The Dolphins are vulnerable to the sack as they rank in the top half of the league in sacks allowed per pass attempt. Woodley needs to get in quarterback Chad Henne's face all day.
Getting Ziggy With It - If Brett Keisel is out today, rookie Ziggy Hood could see his most snaps of the season today. Hood has developed nicely and got his first fumble recovery last week.
Redzone Touchdowns - The Steelers need to do a better job at converting redzone trips into touchdowns instead of 3 points. In 50 redzone trips this season, the Steelers have 24 touchdowns and 20 field goals.
Just Win - The Steelers must find a way to get it done today. All playoff scenarios start with a win against the Dolphins who are fighting to stay alive themselves.
Patriots vs Texans - Yep, today is a scoreboard watching day. Hopefully the Steelers do their part and things go well in Texas. The hatred for the Patriots officially gets put on hold today. If the Pats win, it will make the late games very interesting.
This weeks tea leaves are pretty murky as far as game day inactives versus the Dolphins on Sunday. Quarterback Charlie Batch will be the number 3 again with all likelihood this week as Dennis Dixon is the clear number 2 now. Safety Troy Polamalu and guard Chris Kemoeatu in all likelihood will be inactive this week. Kemoeatu might still play, but I look for Ramon Foster to start again in his place and that means Tony Hills will likely be given a helmet again this week while rookie Kraig Urbik seeing his normal spot on the inactive list. Newly signed cornerback Trae Williams probably is not up to speed yet as well and will likely sit. Defensive ends Ra'Shon Harris and Nick Eason will likely both be active with it looking like Brett Keisel might miss the game because of stingers. The last real mystery is the final inactive spot. Wide receiver Joey Galloway will likely remain down as well. Fullback Carey Davis would likely be the last inactive. You can see the murkiness as only 4 or so players I am very confident in being inactive. Depending on the health of Kemoeatu and Keisel this could severly alter the list.
Check back here for the OFFICIAL LIST 90 minutes before game time.
Likely Sunday Inactive List
S Troy Polamalu
QB Charlie Batch (3rd)
G Chris Kemoeatu
G Kraig Urbik
WR Joey Galloway
DE Brett Keisel
FB Carey Davis
CB Trae Williams
The Steelers wrapped up their practice preparations on Friday for the upcoming Sunday game versus the Miami Dolphins. Defensive end Brett Keisel (neck) did not practice for a third straight day and is listed as questionable on the injury report. Guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist) and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) were both limited again on Friday and both are listed as questionable. It is still highly unlikely Polamalu will play this week. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf), running back Willie Parker (shoulder) and wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) all practiced fully on Friday and all four al listed as probable.
For the Dolphins on Friday, ruunning back Ricky Williams (shoulder) is questionable after being limited for a second straight day. Tackle Vernon Carey (knee) practiced fully again on Friday and is listed as probable.
The Steelers continued their practice preparations on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday game versus the Miami Dolphins. Defensive end Brett Keisel (neck) and wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) both sat out for a second straight day of practice. Both are hopefully to work in some capacity on Friday and likely will be game time decisions on Sunday. Guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist) was limited on Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) was also limited for a second consecutive day. It is still highly unlikely Polamalu will play this week. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf) and running back Willie Parker (shoulder) all practiced fully on Wednesday. Linebacker James Farrior (not injury related) also worked fully after having a day of rest on Wednesday and has been removed from the injury report.
For the Dolphins on Thursday, running back Ricky Williams (shoulder) was limited in participation after working fully on Wednesday. Tackle Vernon Carey (knee) practiced fully for a second straight day.
The Steelers began practice preparations on Wednesday for the week 17 game in Miami versus the Dolphins. Linebacker James Farrior (not injury related), defensive end Brett Keisel (neck), guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf) and wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) all sat out practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf), running back Willie Parker (shoulder) and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) all practiced on a limited basis. Polamalu working was the best news of the day, but he did not work in the contact portion of practice. Thursday and Friday are still key days to determine his availability for Sunday, but it still does not look good according to reports on Wednesday.
For the Dolphins on Wednesday, tackle Vernon Carey (knee) and running back Ricky Williams (shoulder) both had full participation in practice.
Audio from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin press conference on Tuesday December 29th. Tomlin addresses the upcoming week 17 Miami Dolphins game on Sunday and takes questions on the past Ravens game as well. As far as injuries go, wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) is miserable with two hamstrings hurting. Tomlin says they are saving a seat on the bus for him and he should show up. Safety Troy Polamalu (knee) ran and did straight line work on Monday. He could see some limited practice work this week and the door is not closed yet on him playing. Defensive end Brett Keisel (stinger) aggravated his stinger again and will likely be limited this week. Guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist) is still experiencing wrist weakness and his status is still up in the air for this week. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf) has a calf strain and will be limited. Running back Willie Parker (shoulder) has a shoulder sublexation and will likely be limited as well. Transcript to follow shortly.
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Mike Tomlin: Good Afternoon. I met with the team yesterday, I kind of evaluated our performance from the game and assessed our situation and really set the stage for us moving forward here this week. In reference to the game, not a dominant performance by any stretch but we made the necessary plays at timely moments to deliver a victory. I thought the sequence of events prior to the half was big offensively. Of course I thought the sequence of events on third and fourth down, the pressure provided by LaMarr Woodley late in the game was significant. We aspire to be dominant, when we’re not we need those timely kind of plays to get victory. We were able to do that. We’ll put that one behind us and move forward. Not talking a lot about some of the playoff scenarios and things of that nature. Truth be known because we put ourselves in this situation so we’re going to deal with it the best way we know how. What we are going to do is focus on the things we can control, that’s our preparation and ultimately our play this upcoming Sunday in Miami. All scenarios include us winning if we’re going to get in the playoffs, so that’s our focus, taking care of the things that are in front of us.
Preparing to play the Dolphins and ultimately and hopefully, putting together a winning performance. Part of that is looking at some injury things. We’ve got some what of a laundry list of some bumps and bruises if you will. Rocky Boiman has a calf strain, he could be limited at the early part of the week. Willie Parker has a shoulder subluxation. He’s definitely going to be out tomorrow, we’ll see how he improves as the week goes on. Brett Keisel is still experiencing discomfort involving his stingers. Chris Kemoeatu still has weakness in his wrist, significant weakness, hopefully we’ll get him some work at the latter part of the week and see if he’s able to play. Troy [Polamalu] ran yesterday in a straight line, is doing the same thing right now as we speak. Maybe he’ll practice in a limited capacity but really we’re taking it day-by-day in terms of how he responds to the workouts. Yesterday I think was a positive step, I’ll find about it today I guess when I’m done here and then we’ll move on from there. The doors not closed on him participating. The rest are that, bumps and bruises and alike.
Talking about the Dolphins and looking at them, let’s do that for a few minutes. Offensively, Ricky Williams is there guy, he’s a 1,000-yard rusher. Very talented guy of course, he does a lot of things running and catching. [Chad] Henne spreads the ball a round to a lot of people, [Davone] Best, [Ted] Ginn [Jr.], [Brian] Hartline and others. They’re very good at the screen game to wide receivers and running backs, they employ it a bunch. Quick passing is a part of their game. Very good on third down on the season. I think they’re in the upper 40% range in terms of third down conversions, probably has them in the top part of the league in that category. They average 32 to 33 minutes time of possession per game. When you’re converting third downs, dominate time of possession, you’re going to be in a lot of football games and they’re in just about everyone you turn on. Defensively of course they’re led by [Joey] Porter and [Jason] Taylor, their outside pressure men, both guys active-career NFL sack leaders. The tape justifies that. They apply big time pressure on the quarterback. Their corner tandem, young guys Vontae Davis and [Sean] Smith, starting as rookies, playing beyond their years. Vontae [Davis] of course is a very talented and physical guy he’s got four interceptions, [Sean] Smith is a big guy at 6-3. Very tough to drop balls in on both guys because of their stature and the way they play the game with a very physical nature. I just got word, I guess Channing Crowder is out for the year so there will be some turn over in the interior of their linebacking corps, but they’re a rock-solid defense, they come from a lot of angles. Coach [Paul] Pasqualoni does an awesome job with those guys highlighted by outside linebacker play and corner play. Of course we’ve got to be ready to deal with Ted Ginn Jr., not only as a wideout, he’s big-play capable but also in the return game. I was disappointed with that return to mid-field late in the football game on Sunday. Giving their offense a short field, our defense thankfully stood up and preserved the league, but that was a hairy moment. We could have some more hairy moments kicking this ball to Ted Ginn Jr., we’ve got to be on the screws in regards to that. Of course we got a shot in the arm from our own return game with Stefan Logan, I hope that continues here this week.
Question: There have been a lot of ups and downs these last two weeks, but they’re wins. How do you balance the need to win and making the changes you want to correct?
Mike Tomlin: Really, it’s just about winning football games, you look at the things that need to be corrected for one reason and that’s so you don’t repeat the same mistakes and it doesn’t cost you games as you move forward. When we came in and evaluated our performance yesterday, good and bad and so forth, that’s the premise of which we’ll look at the tape, solely to increase our chances of winning next time out. These games never unfold the way you envision them, particularly this time of year. I like the spirit of the group, they’re staying together, they’re delivering timely plays and it’s what we need.
Question: You played your quarterback last year in a game that had no meaning, what’s your take on these teams that are already in and aren’t playing their starters?
Mike Tomlin: I really have no opinion. I trust that those coaches trust are going to do what they feel is best for those football teams. I’m going to do what’s best for mine, very rarely do I pass judgment on decision making of other coaches in regards to their team because I don’t have a pulse of their group, what they need and I’m sure those guys do.
Question: Is there any sense of obligation as a head coach for the integrity of other teams who are vying for playoff spots?
Mike Tomlin: I think we’re all competitors and we play to win, I know I do. Every time we come out of that tunnel that’s the intent. The ramifications in regards to other people really is irrelevant to me. It’s more about the people I come out of the tunnel with and our commitment to this organization, our fans and our community. So when we come out, we come to play to win.
Question: Is this the first time Troy [Polamalu] has been able to do the straight line running? Is being able to cut on the knee going to ultimately determine this?
Mike Tomlin: I think he did a little bit of straight line running last week. He’s been running in the pool. He’s just progressing, trying to get ready hopefully to play.
Question: Is being able to cut on the knee going to decide whether he plays or not?
Mike Tomlin: Yes, no question. The unanticipated movement that comes with playing football, change of direction, dropping your weight and so forth is going to be critical to him gaining clearance to play. Absolutely.
Question: You didn’t list Hines [Ward]. How’s he doing?
Mike Tomlin: Hines is miserable, but I’m going to save a seat on the bus for him. He’s got two hamstrings and a myriad of other issues, it gives him a bad disposition. But he’ll show.
Question: Do you think the second one is from compensating for the first?
Mike Tomlin: I’m sure, in some form or fashion. But that’s Hines. He’s going to leave it out on the field. He’s going to give us everything he has. He was lying on the table down there this morning with two ice bags on his hamstrings when I walked in to check on him, so he’s in his usual good spirits.
Question: Can you talk about the return game? The touchdown hasn’t been there yet, but Stefan Logan has broken the team record for yards.
Mike Tomlin: It’s been consistently good from a kickoff standpoint all year. We haven’t had the house call, but it’s been consistently good. It’s provided us quality field position, it’s been a shot in the arm, and it’s been a positive. I think the punt return game has improved of late, which is encouraging. But we’re growing by leaps and bounds with Stefan and I think a lot of it has to do with understanding him, what he does well, and establishing some continuity between him and the guys that block for him.
Question: You mentioned the key to the sequence at the end of the first half, cashing in offensively. We’ve seen that be particularly so in light of how the third quarter unfolded. Can you talk about that, whether the team came out as “up” as you would have anticipated? Because Baltimore was making a lot of plays, although they didn’t cash in.
Mike Tomlin: I really have no excuse or explanation for the third quarter other than the fact that we didn’t play well and Baltimore did. I thought the group was ready to attack the second half; we had a fluid, normal communication at halftime. They just outperformed us in that quarter of play.
Question: You mentioned after the game that you thought about throwing the flag on that Derrick Mason catch-fumble, and they told you that they were going to rule that way anyways. Doesn’t that go against the spirit of the instant replay?
Mike Tomlin: I appreciated the information. It saved me a timeout, although I didn’t necessarily like it. But I appreciated the information.
Question: Was that the ref that told you that?
Mike Tomlin: Yes.
Question: After looking at it on tape, there seems to be some controversy about the fact that if Ben [Roethlisberger] was out of the pocket, that the call on [Frank] Walker before the [Tom] Zbikowski interception- is that a legitimate call? What is the rule there?
Mike Tomlin: He was in the pocket when the flag was thrown or when the infraction occurred. The only reason that I know that is because I watched the tape; I didn’t necessarily see it unfold in that manner during the game. Ben saw the flag when he worked back to his left and assumed, because of the location, that it was a defensive penalty, so he took a shot downfield. He was aware of the penalty prior to letting go of the football.
Question: Were you aware of it?
Mike Tomlin: I was.
Question: What was the discussion about calling a pass play? They’re out of timeouts; if you run one, they’re going to get it back with 1:20, 1:15?
Mike Tomlin: We thought we could move the chains; we didn’t want to give them the ball back was essentially our approach.
Question: What did you say to Tyler Grisham after that dropped ball?
Mike Tomlin: I’ll leave that between him and me. He’s a quality young man, he’s improving, and he provided a third-down conversion for us. Like some of the things that he’s doing.
Question: Miami had a lot of success in the past couple of years up until a few weeks ago in December. What are you seeing more recently with them?
Mike Tomlin: Looked at both games here in the past 24 hours, and really, it’s a product of the teams that they’re playing, in my opinion. They really came out hot; Houston came out of the locker room on fire this past Sunday, and some of the throws that Vince Young came out and made were spectacular for Tennessee. You know what Chris Johnson is capable of. It’s the nature of this thing. They’re competing. I like the way they fought back in that Houston game and really took it down to a one-possession game, to an onside kick opportunity and a chance. Houston had to convert a third down to avoid giving them the ball back. That’s the nature of this thing. It’s competitive every week. I know those guys over there, those coaches- Coach [Tony] Sparano and others-they’re competitive people. They are going to come to play and play every week. I have a great deal of respect for them.
Question: Is your experience against the wildcat with the Browns help, and how much time do you have to spend this week preparing for it?
Mike Tomlin: It does. We didn’t wait until we played Cleveland or anticipation of this game to prepare for it. Something that we started in the offseason because we realized this is a copycat league and that we’d see more of it. Preparation is one thing, play is another. We’ll see how we perform against it.
Question: Do they use less of it without Ronnie Brown?
Mike Tomlin: Yes, they do. They use less. They employ Pat White some, in there at quarterback. Of course they give some direct snaps to Ricky Williams as well, but it’s not what it was with Ronnie Brown. That’s the case for just about anyone else in the league that has it; unless you have Ronnie Brown or Josh Cribbs, it’s not quite as effective.
Question: Are you surprised and/or disappointed in your rush defense in the past couple games?
Mike Tomlin: It’s been disappointing, but we found a way to win the game and that’s ultimately what we aspire to do. We realize that if we stop the run and make people one-dimensional, we increase our chances of winning. That’s what makes it disappointing.
Question: Mike Wallace has gotten behind the secondary obviously more than a couple times this year. Is there anything that Ben can do to get the ball out there to him?
Mike Tomlin: Throw it early. He can run. He runs by people. He’s a talented guy; he’s providing timely plays for us and has for the better part of the year. He’s shown great maturity, he doesn’t ride the emotional roller coaster; he’s pretty consistent from a personality standpoint in terms of respecting the preparation process. Some games, he gets a bunch of opportunities, some he doesn’t get as many. But he’s the same guy every day and that’s one of the things that we appreciate about him.
Question: Is that something you saw in the offseason workouts and training camp?
Mike Tomlin: Really, it’s about training camp more than anything. Football is played in pads. A lot of guys look fast running around in spring in shorts. He did. But he looked fast in pads as well. He wasn’t intimidated when it got sticky, if you know what I mean. He’s a mature football player.
Question: Miami’s supposed to be a running team, yet they threw 55 times last week. Is that really a cry for falling so far behind, or are they changing their M.O.?
Mike Tomlin: I get asked a lot of personality questions, and a lot of times game circumstances and sequences dictate your personality. Houston came out and dropped a bunch of points on them in a short period of time. They got behind in a hurry. It made them one-dimensional. They had to attack the field vertically, which is of course what they did, and it got them back in the football game.
Question: You still need help if you win, obviously. If you win in Miami, would you be disappointed if the Bengals don’t go all out to beat the Jets?
Mike Tomlin: I could care less how the Bengals approach what it is that they do. This is our bed; we are going to lay in it. We created this situation. What we are going to do is control what we can control, and that’s our preparation for the game. We’re not going to cry over spilled milk. If there’s any level of disappointment in terms of how this thing unfolds, it will be on us.
Question: Along those lines, either you or Miami could be eliminated this weekend, and both teams; you mentioned [Channing] Crowder is out with a foot, and all of the other injuries you have. Talk about the intangibles and the things that you rally upon right now to move forward and give yourself the best chance despite maybe not being as physically capable as you’d like to be.
Mike Tomlin: Everybody’s got injuries. There are 32 teams; there are 32 teams with injury issues. It’s week 17. I think the motivation factors are obvious. If they aren’t, we have big problems.
