Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke highly of Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter following their lopsided Sunday Night Football clash. The praise was perhaps a bit too excessive, particularly in the immediate aftermath of defeat.
Tomlin instantly lauded the Chargers' defense upon getting to the podium for his postgame press conference after Pittsburgh's ugly 25-10 Week 10 loss, namely Minter. There's nothing wrong with respecting your opponent, but the flattery could paradoxically be unflattering to Steelers fans.
By the sound of it, Tomlin sounds like a man who knows he was beaten at his own game. The Steelers' longtime leader has always been touted for having a strong defensive background. Yet, other minds like Minter's are admittedly lapping him.
Mike Tomlin all but admits coaches are passing him by after Steelers' loss to Chargers
"Got to give credit to the L.A. Chargers, specifically Jesse Minter," Tomlin said. "I thought their collective did the job."
Moreover, Tomlin effectively gave Minter the ultimate compliment by acknowledging that quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' offense had no answers to the Chargers' scheme. Pittsburgh couldn't sustain drives or move the chains until late in the contest, when things were already out of reach.
"Shoot, it was probably midway of the fourth quarter before we converted a third down. You're not going to win football games [by] not converting third downs and losing the turnover battle. "We certainly were loose with the ball in several instances and didn't convert enough third downs, so that's the end result -- there's nothing mystical about it."
There are no lies detected in Tomlin's comments. Pittsburgh went 2-of-11 on third downs while committing three turnovers and zero takeaways, which isn't a recipe for success. Nevertheless, his conceding to Minter only validates what Steeler Nation has been saying about him: he's lost a step (on the sidelines, that is).
Minter is a rising head coaching candidate who will be a hot commodity on the upcoming hiring cycle this offseason. He thoroughly outclassed Tomlin, who ostensibly recognizes his and the Steelers' need to improve and make adjustments moving forward.
"We'll be back, we'll be better," Tomlin declared. "We have to be, but we certainly weren't [against the Chargers]."