Steelers 30, Bengals 37
MIKE TOMLIN: Disappointing football game. Tough competition. I thought the significant component of the game was the field positioning in the second half, and the third quarter. We had the short field on offense and wasn't able to get points. I think we had a holding penalty and ended up third and 25. Just when you're in a battle like that, you got the short field, you got to produce points.
We didn't. I thought it was significant. We pinned them back and they went plus 90 and scored a touchdown on the subsequent drive. I thought that was a significant sequence in the game, particularly from a field positioning standpoint. When you're in that position, the field positioning is a component. When you got it, you got to maintain it. It has to produce points, and obviously when you got it on defense, you can't allow them to drive the field. Those are a couple things that happened that I thought shaped the second half of the football game.
And then just largely we got to make people settle for field goals. We can't allow people to score touchdowns at the rate they scored tonight. You got to make them settle for field goals. We weren't able to do that, and that's why the game ended up the way it ended up.
Boykins wasn't able to finish with an oblique. Jaylen Warren had a hamstring. Mason Cole had a mid-foot of some description. All those guys will be evaluated and I'll have more information for you at the top of this upcoming week.
Questions.
Q. Is Minkah limited or did he pretty much play his game?
MIKE TOMLIN: He wasn't in any way limited.
Q. Offense seemed to have a lot of success, 20 points in the first half. What did you see from the unit overall in the second half?
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, like I mentioned, the penalty component stopped a drive or two. Just wasn't able to get the type of rhythm that we needed in an effort to control the game in the manner which we did in the first half.
Q. The sequence you're referring to, that's where you're basically playing like a field position battle?
MIKE TOMLIN: That is a significant sequence. You know, I thought that was a significant sequence that kind of defined the second half and ultimately the outcome of the game.
We got the ball at mid-field. We don't produce points. Pinned them back and they go the length of the field. That's a significant swing.
Q. Bengals had a lot of chunk plays in this game. What do you attribute to the breakdowns?
MIKE TOMLIN: Sometimes it's just good execution by them.
Q. How would you evaluate Kenny's day overall?
MIKE TOMLIN: Appreciate his effort. Obviously we didn't get it done and we all got to own that.
Q. Offensive line, what did you get from their play and did you see anything go down when Mason left the game with the foot injury?
MIKE TOMLIN: I did not. No, I appreciate the effort. We just need a few more plays, particularly in weighty moments and situational circumstances.
Q. The defense were down and out a little bit?
MIKE TOMLIN: I don't think that that was a component of it. I just thought they made more plays than we did.
Q. They were doing to get Higgins a bunch of different advantageous positions?
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, he's a good player. They got a lot have good players. Joe did a nice job.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports