Coach Mike Tomlin’s Post-Game Comments After The Win Over The Panthers

Coach Mike Tomlin: It was a necessary response for us coming off a negative performance. We were presented with a challenge in a hostile environment, a very good football team. We responded appropriately, made the necessary plays in all three phases. I am happy for the group, but at the same time we’ve got a little perspective on it. We’ll evaluate it tomorrow and move forward. Obviously we have some adjustments to make. We had some guys go down with significant injuries in this game. Ike Taylor broke his forearm. (Ryan) Shazier has a knee injury that is being evaluated. Jarvis Jones has a wrist injury that is being evaluated. I’ll let you know more about that when we get back to Pittsburgh. Just largely tonight happy for these men, appreciate the efforts in all three phases. It was much needed.

Can you talk about the defense after those injures?
I thought they did a nice job of executing the plan throughout the course of the football game. We were trying to minimize what Cam Newton can do to us. We realize he is a special talent. I thought they did a nice job of containing him. We won possession downs. If you do that you have a chance.

Can you talk about the running game?
We have two guys we feel good about. Thankfully we’re in a situation where we’re winning enough possession downs on defense where we can utilize their talents in the second half of the game. We hadn’t had an opportunity to do that, and I think it’s just about opportunity. We had that opportunity tonight and they showed what they are capable of. I don’t think we have any doubts about what that tandem is capable of in terms of running the football.

Re: Getting a turnover tonight at a critical time and getting pressure
If you get them behind the chains you’ve got an opportunity for that. We hadn’t had them, them being opponents, behind the chains a lot over the course of the first couple of weeks. It’s as simple as that. I am not going to make it any more complex than it has to be. If you win first and second downs significantly you get them in advantageous third down situations for yourself and big plays usually happen. It’s as simple as that.

Re: Team in general
I’m not trying to crown them tonight. They did what was necessary, they hung together, they went into a hostile environment and won versus a good group. There is a lot to be learned from that, a lot to build upon from that moving forward and hopefully we will.

Re: Success of the defense
We were winning first and second down and if you do that you’ve got an opportunity to be in advantageous third down positions. To me that is the difference in our defensive performance. There was splash and things of that nature but it was because we were in advantageous third down situations.

Can you talk about Marcus Gilbert bouncing back?
I expected him to. Just you guys were down on Marcus. We like Marcus.