Steelers 26, Ravens 24
MIKE TOMLIN: Man, it's another one in the history of this series, man. It's an honor to be a part of this rivalry with that group. Got a lot of respect for them. Obviously it was a 60-minute football game. I'm just happy for those guys in that locker room.
They fought and fought and fought not only tonight but throughout the entire journey, so we move forward. I'm thankful for that. Excited about what lies ahead. Not only the game next week, but the work in front of it because that's how we get there and that's how we engineer victory.
Guys had a great week this week and I think they put that on display. We supported one another. Certainly wasn't easy. Defense supported offense when offense needed to be supported. Offense supported defense when defense needed to be supported.
That's team. We are AFC North champions, and that sounds good and it feels good. But we didn't come here for that. We came here for what lies ahead, and so excited about that.
Thankful.
Got some bumps and bruises suited with play. We'll assess that. I hear we got a Monday night game, which is great. It's an additional day. We're going to need it.
I'll pause and open for questions.
Q. What did you guys do in the second half to shut down Derrick. I think he only had 14 rushing yards.
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, the guys just played hard. They did. I didn't feel like he was running wild in the first half, although his numbers said that he was. I think the two times we saw him this year we worked hard to make him earn it. He's a special player. They're a special group in terms of what they do around him in that phase of the game, you know, so you're not going to be able to shut them down all the time, but I thought we were game for the fight for sure.
Q. What was it like to be in that moment with Aaron the way he led them back?
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, I've admired him from afar for a long time. Good to do it with him. But, again, as I've said multiple times here in recent weeks, this was the vision in the spring when we pursued him. That's why you do business with a 41, 42 year old guy; been-there, done-that guy with a resume like his. He's not only capable, he thrives in it.
I think he put that on display tonight.
Q. A lot of those 41 and 42 years into whatever was going on with the headset and the helmets on that goal-to-go series?
MIKE TOMLIN: It's going to be challenges like that. There is always the unforeseen in this game. We dealt with it. It didn't prevent us from winning and so we move on.
Q. What did it mean to have TJ Watt back and make that splash play, the interception?
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, this series has been defined by great players. Earlier this week I was talking about TJ and Lamar. You know, I didn't question whether either guy was going to show up, you know, because that's just the nature of this thing, man. Their relationship is tied together for life just like Big Ben and Suggs.
It's the men that make this rivalry what it is, and those two guys put that on display. Certainly I'm glad TJ is with us, but tip of the cap to Lamar because he's a tremendous athlete and competitor.
Q. Talk about Boswell. I know you didn't prefer it the way everything went, but how the team actually picked Boswell up after Boswell lost so many games with this team in the past?
MIKE TOMLIN: It's just team. Like I said, we supported one another throughout, offense, defense, special teams. That's what good teams do. That's what we did tonight.
Q. What did you see of what happened on the two long touchdowns to Zay Flowers, what kind of breakdowns did you see?
MIKE TOMLIN: Good plays by them, negligence by us. On the first one I thought we had Lamar in the backfield. He came out of a -- I think two men had him, and so you just respect that component of his game.
We probably overplayed the short yardage situation on the second one, but, you know, you just got to compliment him for the talent and competitor that he is. He fought tooth and nail, man, to lead hill his team to victory and you got to just respect that.
Q. No DK Metcalf this game. Last game you were only able to score six points; scored 26 tonight. What was the difference last week versus this week to be able to score 26 points?
MIKE TOMLIN: As I said last week and leading up to this game it was reasonable to expect us to be better. It's one more additional game without him. You don't stay the same. There is growth associated in last week's performance. If we changed nothing I expected us to be better.
But we're going to do whatever it is we need to do to get better and improve. Calvin Austin played in this one; he didn't play last week. I think you felt the effects of him in-game, so that's just how it goes.
Q. The impact of Jaylen Warren in that regard, especially some of the catches in the flat?
MIKE TOMLIN: Man, we got two awesome backs. Their efforts are appreciated not only in the running game but in the passing game. Certainly Jaylen was big; Kenny G was big. Just appreciative of that tandem.
Q. You were asked on Tuesday about the fans. There has been a lot of negatively going around. Seems like they showed up here tonight. Do you feel like they had an impact on the last kick for a rookie in a big situation?
MIKE TOMLIN: It's nothing like Acrisure, in the friendly confines of Acrisure. I'm just thankful for the support that we have and the environment we had tonight. It was a legendary night in the history of this series, so it's humbling to be a part of it.
Q. You mentioned Aaron being a player that thrives in the fight. How do you instill the fight, the whatever-it-takes mentality to the rest of roster in a game like this where you need everybody?
MIKE TOMLIN: You do business with people that have that in them. We turn stones over in the evaluation of talent not only in terms of their skill but their will and relationship with the game. You get people that love football, people that love the life as supposed to the lifestyle and you train them.
That's what we try to do.
Q. Coach, talking about that Cam Heyward, the type of performance he had today. He even went both ways.
MIKE TOMLIN: You know, Cam been here a long time. He's got a lot invested. He cares hard. I don't know what I can say about Cam that hadn't been said. He's a Steeler, man; he's a quintessential Steeler.
Q. To be part of the shove play with his brother taking Darnell's place?
MIKE TOMLIN: Well, we needed to replace a big man with a big man so we did. He replaced Darnell and he did a nice job.
Q. 10-nothing in a championship game that early, veteran team. What was the vibes at that point?
MIKE TOMLIN: I don't know that we absorbed it in that way. It's 60 minutes of football. That game wasn't going to be decided in 15 minutes or whatever, and it wasn't.
Q. A field goal like that, win or lose, do you watch it? Do you turn away?
MIKE TOMLIN: Man, I'm going to watch it. You kidding me?
Q. (Indiscernible.)
MIKE TOMLIN: I don't have any. We're singularly focused on getting in and out of this stadium. We're certainly going to turn our attention to them very soon.
Q. Mike, did you make a concerted effort to attack (indiscernible) down the field after Hamilton left the game?
MIKE TOMLIN: No. We were going to play and play aggressive and play to win, whether Kyle was in there or not. Got a lot of respect for Kyle. Obviously he's a significant player, but particularly in passing circumstances he plays more on their front than he does their back end anyway. He plays dime linebacker in passing situations, so has very little impact on downfield throws.
Q. Can you talk about the team's resilience? You've taken a lot of punches this year and seems like they keep getting better.
MIKE TOMLIN: We've thrown a lot, too.
Q. How can you put into words the thin line between they if make that kick, season is over, comes to a screeching halt, and missing that kick and the winner going home?
MIKE TOMLIN: You know how it is. If my aunt has male parts she would be my uncle.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports