Steelers 23, Seahawks 20
MIKE TOMLIN: First of all, a big congratulations to our Hall-of-Fame honorees that got recognized tonight, and a hearty welcome to the alumni that had an opportunity to be in attendance, man. It's an honor to perform for those guys and put together a winning performance. We've got so much respect for the standards that have been set here by those that have come before us. We don't run away from it, we run to it, we embrace it, and it was great to have a really competitive team victory with those men in attendance.
I'd be remiss if I didn't say that.
I'm appreciative of the effort of our team, the ability to smile in the face of adversity and make the necessary plays at the critical moments. We've got a lot of improvements to make, obviously, but boy, it's good to win a game like that, to get to know yourselves individually and collectively when faced with dire circumstances at times, and seemingly when it's not going your way.
So that was good.
It's also good to be at .500 as we push into this bye week and we can gather ourselves and look at some of the guys that we have working their way back from injury and really get focused on the second half of this thing and proceed with that approach. So that's been good.
We tip our caps to Seattle and their efforts. They were game tonight. They really challenged us in a big way, and we send our thoughts and prayers to Taylor who got injured in the game, and we wish him a speedy recovery.
I'll pause and open it up for questions.
Q. That final sequence in regulation, it looked like you wanted to see that handled differently by the official --
MIKE TOMLIN: I hated it.
Q. Why is that?
MIKE TOMLIN: I just hated it. I cannot believe that game was stopped a confirmed catch-no catch in that moment. That's all I'm going to say.
Q. What explanation did they give to you?
MIKE TOMLIN: That's all I'm going to say. It was an embarrassment.
Q. What was Seattle able to do in the second half, especially running the ball?
MIKE TOMLIN: Man, they had a great plan. Kudos to those guys. They had a great plan. They won the line of scrimmage. We didn't get off enough blocks and things of that nature. We didn't tackle well enough. Collins ran really well. I won't take anything away from them.
Q. You talk a lot about great players. Seeing T.J. Watt step up in that moment, almost something you guys expect at this moment?
MIKE TOMLIN: No question. No question. That's how he's compensated.
Q. What can you say about his efforts, especially down the stretch run?
MIKE TOMLIN: I don't think anyone is surprised by his ability to deliver in those moments. Yes, he's a great player, but it's about what he's willing to do in terms of preparation and conditioning himself and all of those things. It's not anything mystical about that play making, man. We talk about a guy that's really talented, that works extremely hard, that's hyper focused, prepared physically and mentally, so that's what happens.
Q. What do you like about the way that Tre Norwood came up big on some 3rd down stops tonight?
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, Tre has been part of a group that has provided big time versatility for us, man. We've been working hard to sign a division of labor there the early portions of the season. Mike Hilton was a significant guy and some of that stuff here, and so we've got a bunch of guys doing a bunch of things. He's a part of that group. We're trying to highlight the individual skill sets. It provides an opportunity for a lot of those guys to make plays, and he's one of them, and we're appreciative of the efforts, and hopefully he and we collectively continue to grow as we push forward.
But nights like tonight, you grow from it. You grow from it in a big way, and I'm appreciative of his efforts.
Q. Speaking of growth, what did you see from your offense? You didn't have turnovers, had over 100 yards of rushing, some good things but probably not what you want --
MIKE TOMLIN: We're still very much in development. We'll continue to write that story. I'm appreciative of the efforts tonight, particularly as we -- I thought we won the game of attrition. I thought we were able to run the ball more effectively as the game wore on, as well, which is a good thing.
Q. With the passing game, how did you think it flowed first full time without JuJu out there?
MIKE TOMLIN: I thought it was a winning performance. I don't have any strong critique, so I'll probably give you guys more definitive things of that nature in terms of the quality of play next time we get together. Just as I sit here right now, from an emotional standpoint, I'm just really appreciative of the efforts of the men and their ability to complement one another and play together and make those necessary plays in those weighty moments.
Q. Did you have the Hall of Famers talk to the team before the game?
MIKE TOMLIN: We did not, no.
Q. Last weekend there was a ton of missed field goals around the NFL. Your guy has become a pretty consistent player. How important is it to you especially in a game like this to have that guy?
MIKE TOMLIN: We've got a great deal of confidence in Boz. Obviously he's been here and done it at a high level for a long time, but I've got to compliment our snapper and holder. They're new to us and some instances new to pro ball, and they didn't blink, either. Young Pressley holding those balls in big moments. We're appreciative of everybody involved. A field goal is a snap-hold-kick, so I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the efforts of all three men involved.
Q. That last punt from Pressley that pins them to about the 15 --
MIKE TOMLIN: He owed us one.
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