Opening comments: That was an ugly performance. That is ours. We own it. When you turn the ball over the way we did today you are not going to beat anybody. That is just the reality of the National Football League. I am surprised it was that close given the turnover situation. We are not looking for comfort. We understand that we are not going to have much support after a performance like that. We probably deserve that. We have to go back to work and get back to playing fundamental football. We were highly penalized; we turned the ball over. When you do those things you are going to lose. I don’t care who’s playing quarterback.
Can you talk about Charlie Batch’s performance?
It wasn’t good enough.
Do you have an injury update?
No, not really. (LaMarr)Woodley had an ankle. Mike Adams had an ankle. I don’t know the extent of those injuries. They will be evaluated. I will have more for you on Tuesday.
Were you just trying to find a running back that can hold the ball?
Absolutely.
Were the problems uncharacteristic or more symptomatic of something else?
It really doesn’t matter. The reality of it is we didn’t do a good job of securing the football today. We didn’t do a good job of converting third downs. It was ugly.
Can you talk about the decision to sit Willie Colon?
He didn’t practice on Friday. He was listed on the injury report. He had pain in his knee. We thought there was a chance it was going to perk up and it didn’t. When he went through warm-ups we discovered he couldn’t do it. Unfortunately for him and us he wasn’t able to play.
Re: Timing of the turnovers
When you have that many turnovers you can frame it however you want to frame it. There were a bunch of them. Pick one, or two, or three.
Do you have any sense of getting any injured players back next week?
I hadn’t pondered that as I sit here right now. Obviously those are top of the week things. Right now I am just thinking about this performance we just put out there.
Re: Switching running backs because of fumbles
They were fumbling the ball. We are going to play people that can secure the football. After everybody does it, obviously there aren’t many choices left.
Did Mike Wallace give enough of an effort on the deep ball that was picked off?
Yes.
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Tom Shimko
November 25, 2012 at 7:53 pm
When will the coach place the blame of this game where it belongs. On him. This team was not ready to play this game.
Dave B.
November 25, 2012 at 8:04 pm
As bad as it hurts to say , the 2012 Steelers are officially on life support . For all intents and purposes the plug will be pulled next week in Baltimore . Rather than rant an rave like alot of posters do , I will make two observations and leave it at that . One is injuries and the other is simple fundamentals . No team in any sport can be expected to compete when they’re roster is decimated with injuries the way the Steelers are . That is part of the game and it always will be . The one thing that I have a major problem with is the basic fundamentals that arent being done and havent been all year . The rediculous holding penalties and false starts are killing this team every week and bottom line , they are not being corrected . That goes directly back to the coaching , which then gets dumped in the lap of one Mike Tomlin . Tomlin needs to quit coddling these guys and start cracking the whip . If you dont produce , you dont play , its as simple as that . At the end of the day , Tomlin has no control over the injuries but the rest he needs to start taking ownership over and so far he hasnt .
Jalen
November 25, 2012 at 8:50 pm
And whose fault are the injuries? Happenstance? Hardly! Not when it’s endemic!
DrGeorge
November 25, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Take away all eight turnovers, and you still have a Steelers team that couldn’t run the ball when they had to, couldn’t protect Batch for more than a few seconds at best, and played undisciplined football on offense. Wallace’s lack of effort was apparent. Abundant penalties killed the few feeble scoring attempts the offense mustered. (In that regard, Beecham continues to play like Kemoeatu reincarnated; he holds on nearly every play.) Initially, Haley wanted to run the ball to spare Batch, but the fumbles and O-line injuries forced him out of his plan. Running Rainey between the tackles only served to get the guy hurt. Haley should have gone to the TEs much more. Despite all that, we had a chance to win this one, and let it get away.
The defense played well, given the short fields they were forced to defend due to offensive mistakes. Even so, we continue to be vulnerable to the run and short pass routes. We allowed too many big plays on first down. The D simply lacks talent up front and speed at inside linebacker.
In reality, Tomlin painted himself into this corner with decisions he made two years ago not to rebuild the O-line, the Defense, and develop a young QB when the time had clearly come. Those chickens have come home to roost, compounded by the mounting injuries. He can no longer win with Cowher’s men. The coaching staff now has the challenge of keeping the healthy players focused on the rest of the season and taking measures to discipline those players who have checked out mentally. If the team isn’t ready for the Ravens next week, the outcome could be very ugly indeed.
Jalen
November 25, 2012 at 9:06 pm
I don’t know what you’re watching every week doc but this defense should receive no blame. They gave up ten legitimate points on the road to a division foe. Say what you want about slow inside linebackers and inept pass rushing which, although I agree with, can’t shut every one down on every play. Teams are going to move the ball occasionally and the defense, after those two fourth quarter collapses against Oakland and Tennessee, has more than done its job. This offense is putrid, putrid, putrid. When are smart steelers fans going to realize that Tomlin is not that good of a coach. His teams regularly make mental mistakes and turn the ball over, show up unprepared. Remember, this is the performance we get after a loss. Mendenhall is soft And can’t run between the tackles. Wallace is soft and can’t run routes in the middle or be physical or break up interceptions or make better attempts on deep balls, etc., ad Infinitum. There are players on this team who are not prototypical steelers and it shows. There are players on this team who are all style and no substance and Tomlin seems to foster that and give us the same rhetoric every week ala Andy Reid in Philly. And it’s puke to hear that injuries are to blame! I’ll sooner blame the players and coaches for the injuries before I blame their play and the results on the injuries themselves! Injuries have nothing to do with this! It’s the character of the players and the Xs and Os knowledge of the head coach coupled with his overrated ability to get players ready to play!
B.J.
November 25, 2012 at 11:17 pm
If you own it Coach, then the buck stops with you! Ball security = job security! Embarrassing football game. Depressing game. Poor prior preparation promotes piss poor performance!! There’s no heart out there on the gridiron. “Victory” is not in the Steeler’s vocabulary.
mark
November 26, 2012 at 2:18 pm
A horrible performance,plain and simple. 4 RB that cant secure the ball? Same old penalty problems? Tomlin MUST shoulder the blame for this more than just in words. Its time this team became accountable. Mendenhall and Wallace have played themselves out of Pittsburgh in my book. If I were to tell you this team would be a solid defense without Polamalu all year and sporadic play by Harrison,Woodley and Hampton and a CB in Lewis who is in his 1st real year as a starter…who wouldnt take it?? OK, that being said, the offense is just brutal. The “back-ups” on offense couldnt play in Canada. I say that as a whole because I’m sure the optimists will tell me that certain players are doing a fine job. BULL! Not a RB can find a hole all of a sudden, Not a RB can hold the ball either. Antonio Brown, while being a solid #2, is not a #1. Period. If he was, he would find the endzone much more.
Legursky? Just a journeyman center. Thats the only position he should be allowed to play.
Foster? A journeyman guard.
Who knows who will play RT, maybe Colon??
Anyway, the team is battered and bruised and even a return of Ben doesnt make me excited about a playoff run at all. This team struggles to beat teams they should beat. How can they beat elite when they cant beat bottom-feeders? healthy or not.
Tomlin needs to step up and make a swift and punctuated move.
Daniel Griffin
November 26, 2012 at 2:32 pm
I can’t believe that Pittsburgh still has that quarterback on their roster!!! He has never been able to be a proficient quarterback on the side of Pittsburgh since his start in 2002. He is nothing more than an old has been who really hasn’t done anything, so “has been” may be more of a glorified name!!!
Daniel
if anyone objects please reply
DS
November 26, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Horrible! Tomlin needs to go and take his coddling style with him. Same mistakes and poor work ethic abound, enough is enough. Why has he not gotten us many of the key players we need? Time for the Rooneys to make a change as we are in real need of a head coach.
My letter of displeasure to the Rooney family is in the mail. Do your part and drop Steeler management a note of displeasure as well.
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