Mike Tomlin Dishes on Ravens-Steelers Matchup
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is preparing for another tough, physical matchup with the Ravens.
Here are the takeaways from his recent press conference.
On the Ravens offense.
Tomlin: "As I mentioned earlier, man, they play an attrition game, they play a limited-possession game, they run the ball extremely well, they've got a very diverse running attack. They challenge you with personnel groupings and pre-snap shifts and motions, all of which we're familiar with. But being familiar with that doesn’t necessarily solve the issues; you’ve got to play really good football. So, we’re readying ourselves for that as we prepare."
On Mark Andrews
Tomlin: "We also acknowledge, man, that Mark Andrews is a significant guy for them in the passing game. He always has been and even through some of their quarterback instability, he continues to be. Dangerous vertical threat; I think to label him as a tight end, it's kind of disrespectful to his talents. He's kind of a No. 1 receiving option. He's like Travis Kelce, if you will, or that young guy in Atlanta [Kyle Pitts]. Their skill set and the plays that they make are kind of caged in if you describe them in a tight end sort of way. We’ve got some work there to try to minimize him."
The Ravens' new additions to the offense.
Tomlin: "We’ve got to familiarize ourselves with some new weapons they have. Sammy Watkins is an acquisition of a veteran guy that knows how to play, and we should be prepared for them to get contributions from him. DeSean Jackson, obviously was a guy that they had just acquired prior to our last meeting, and anytime you’re playing veterans in a hotly contested matchup, man, you know the stage is not going to be too big for those gentlemen. So, we’d better acknowledge what they're capable of and how they divide the labor up in that area."
The Ravens defense
Tomlin: "On defense, man, I just really think it all starts with their linebacker tandem. We knew that the acquisition of [Roquan] Smith was significant. I think after having been in the stadium with them, you really feel it. I think the analytics bears that out, nut it goes beyond just the numbers. I just think there's a presence there. There's leadership, there's communication. I think when they work in tandem the way that he and [Patrick] Queen do, they’re a formidable bunch, man. They utilize them on possession downs when most people are going to dime and quarters, and that speaks to their athleticism and their talents. The fact that they leave those guys on the field the way that they do, and I think their productivity kind of justifies it. I mean, both guys had interceptions against us the last time we played them. They're just really quality, capable players. We're going to have our hands full there."
Ravens special teams
Tomlin: "They’re always very sound in the kicking game. I mentioned Tucker earlier; he’s special. The field-positioning component, their ability to score when they’re at or around midfield because of his talents, you have to respect. He really limits you in the kickoff return game if he so chooses. He can put all the balls out of the back of the endzone if he so chooses. They’re a really rock-solid group in that area."
