PITTSBURGH – Mike Tomlin, Steelers coach, is no stranger to criticism after his team’s recent loss to the Bills. The coach, with a long career in the NFL, shared the fans’ frustration at seeing his team surpassed on the field for the fifth time in seven games.
The fans at Acrisure Stadium expressed their discontent during the final quarter, even booing when “Renegade” by Styx, a usual song to cheer the defense, played. Tomlin understands this reaction and acknowledges that winning is fundamental to success. Frustration wasn’t limited to Tomlin. Defensive captain Cam Heyward received a penalty for taunting Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Heyward claimed his reaction was in response to a previous action by Allen. Backup defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo also incurred an unnecessary roughness penalty, which prolonged a crucial Bills offensive series.In general, I agree with them. Football is our sports entertainment business. If you’re a Steelers fan, we entertain you by winning. And when you don’t win, there’s no entertainment.
Mike Tomlin
The Steelers need to improve to reverse their situation, which has tarnished the good start to the season (4-1). Three of their last five losses have been by at least 10 points, against teams with playoff aspirations. Tomlin maintains confidence in his team, despite the recent results.I take responsibility for ensuring that these players understand that a key component to being a difficult team to beat is not self-destructing. We’ve had some penalties, and of course they happen, but 15-yard penalties and losing composure haven’t been our thing. That must be corrected immediately.
Mike Tomlin
When asked about the team’s identity three months into the season, Tomlin responded with a smile: “Yes, 6-6, and I don’t like it.” The Steelers have a 6-11 record in their last 17 games, including the end of last season, where a promising 10-3 start turned into a loss in the first round of the playoffs. The defensive issues, especially in run containment, that plagued the Steelers at the end of 2024, persist in 2025. The team added Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, and Daniel Ekuale to bolster the defensive line, alongside Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Dean Lowry. Lowry suffered an injury in training camp, Ekuale missed the season, and Harmon has had knee problems.Certainly, our last performance was not good, but I don’t think that diminishes our faith in ourselves or in our ability to perform individually and collectively in the future.
Mike Tomlin
The Steelers are ranked 17th against the run this season and face the Ravens, who ran for 299 rushing yards against them in their last meeting. Tomlin has expressed that at certain moments along the way he has felt good about the team’s physicality, but that now, with a 6-6 record, it is necessary to analyze and chart a course for improvement.You can’t run out of big players. If you run out of big players in the AFC North, you’re running on the beach, for sure.
Mike Tomlin
