Steelers - 24, Vikings - 21
MIKE TOMLIN: Before I even get to the game, I just can't express enough the reception that we got here. The hospitality, the accommodations, the service -- it was all topnotch, man. It's an honor to represent American football here in Dublin.
It was just a great trip. Obviously a component of it being a great trip is doing the job, and thankfully we were able to do that. We made it a little more entertaining than maybe it should have been, but the Vikings had a lot to do with that. That group's got a lot of fight. They're well coached.
It's just a fun atmosphere, good to get a win. Good to go into the bye in the position that we're in.
We're leaking in some areas, so it's probably at an appropriate time, but to be honest with you, I've never had a bye that didn't seem like it didn't come at the appropriate time.
Calvin Austin's got a shoulder. I think he's at the hospital being evaluated. Jalen Ramsey was in and out of the game with a hamstring. Brandin Echols had cramps. Slay got cleated. We were leaking a little bit in the secondary coming into the game without Joey Porter, but such is life.
Again, I'm just thankful to get the victory. I appreciate the fight of the guys. Certainly you want to finish that game off cleaner, man, so we got some get better ahead of us. But it's good to do that with a "W."
We talked a lot about the late great ambassador Rooney last night. I know he's smiling at us today. It's just an honor to fulfill his vision, to bring NFL football to Dublin. I've been thinking about him a lot on a personal level. So I'd be remiss if I didn't say that.
Q. (Question re Jaylen Warren not playing)?
MIKE TOMLIN: Jaylen was a pregame decision. That's why we listed him as questionable. He worked out prior to the game. We just didn't feel good enough. We didn't want to put him in a uniform and then he wouldn't be able to finish and then you're working a guy short. So we worked him out, and that's where we settled.
Jaylen is a tough guy. He wanted to do it. I just thought it was prudent not to. I've also got a great deal of confidence in Kenny Gainwell, man, and he showed you why, topnotch competitor and professional. He's been a great asset to us, man, in the running game, out of the backfield. He's just a football player first, and I appreciate his efforts today.
Q. Speaking of Kenny Gainwell, is that a guy you can get good results from going forward?
MIKE TOMLIN: Kenny is always ready for whatever we ask him to do. No, I wouldn't be surprised by that. He's just a topnotch competitor, and I'm glad he's with us.
Q. Defense had a productive week. What do you think led to that?
MIKE TOMLIN: I thought that we put together a good plan, and I thought they did a nice job of executing it. The Vikings got some challenges, schematics. They work to minimize your four-man rush with max protections. I think the adjustments we made relative to the max protections was a major component why we were able to put pressure on them.
Kudos to T.A. and company, but also kudos to the men. We had a bunch of guys that played hard and made a bunch of plays today, and we needed them.
Q. The injuries in that secondary, do you think it led to that 81-yard catch?
MIKE TOMLIN: Unfortunately, yes. We were leaking bad at that juncture, I think we had big nickel in and three safeties, and that's not ideal. Under the circumstance, you're really limited in terms of your schematics. You can't play man to man, so it was what it was, but we were able to get out of the stadium.
Q. (No microphone)?
MIKE TOMLIN: I'm certainly interested in starting fast, but the start doesn't determine the game. It's a 60-minute football game, as you guys just saw. You've got to start fast. You've got to be competitive in the middle. You'd better be competitive at the end. We're in the ultimate parity league. I think that's why we have such a good relationship with our fans, man, and we enjoy putting our talents and skills on display for them.
Q. You embraced the Steelers as a whole team this week. How do you strike a balance between the locker room and not allowing it to become a distraction?
MIKE TOMLIN: Our guys are professional, so I think you can -- two things can be true. You can appreciate this unique opportunity that we had to come represent American football here while at the same time you can do what it is you need to do to pursue victory and handle this week's job.
That's the approach we took it. We weren't going to fight against it. We want to appreciate it. Yet at the same time, we understood what we came here to do.
Q. How do you feel going into the bye week?
MIKE TOMLIN: For us, it's just about getting healthy, to be quite honest with you. We hadn't been that. We've got no control over that. It's just about how you respond to it. Depth is required. We've got a lot of competitive guys. Can't say enough about Brandin Echols, man. That guy's played a lot of football for us, man.
But our depth has been tested. It will be good to get a week off and get more healthy and get ready for what lies ahead.
Q. (Question regarding the defense)?
MIKE TOMLIN: I was, but again, as I mentioned, we felt comfortable with our plan. We knew they would max protect and neutralize our rush. I just think we had a solid counterplan, and the guys understood and executed at a high level.
That's the name of the game: Possession down football, winning it, making big plays, playing complementary football. I thought for the better part of the day, we did most of those things.
Q. (No microphone)?
MIKE TOMLIN: Forget my perception of it. We're 3-1, and that's all that matters. Would I like to be 4-0? Certainly. But we are what we are. I've learned not to kid myself. You are what your record says you are. So that's what we are going into the bye, and I can take it.
Q. How impressed were you with the pressure you got from the defense
MIKE TOMLIN: Man, it was required. We've got a lot of respect for Carson Wentz. He's a veteran guy. They've got a vertical passing attack. They go down the grass to their outstanding tandem of receivers. We knew it would be an opportunity to provide some pressure because of their mode of operation, the fact that they're a vertical group, but obviously as you can see, they're capable of making some plays as well. So it's competitive.
Q. (Question regarding getting the ball to DK Metcalf)?
MIKE TOMLIN: I think getting him the ball is always our agenda. Sometimes it's controlled by other things. In previous weeks we weren't getting off the way we would like on third down, so it minimizes offensive possessions. We weren't winning possession downs.
These are not -- these are complex discussions. They don't happen in a vacuum. We didn't go get DK not to get him the ball. So today was a reflection of our intentions, but that's been our intentions every week.
Q. What did you make of the Dublin experience? Do you think other sides will relish coming here and the atmosphere and everything the fans have given you?
MIKE TOMLIN: As I mentioned, our reception was first class in every way. I'm sure others will experience the same things we experienced. I can't say enough about the hospitality that Dublin provided us.
Q. How will you work going into the bye week?
MIKE TOMLIN: I promised them a sweet bye week if we got the business done. So I probably have to fulfill that promise. There won't probably be a lot of work in the week that lies ahead, but we'll get us a good bonus Monday, man, and a good week's work coming out of that. They're deserving of that.
As I mentioned, it's probably appropriate because we've got a lot of people down.
Q. It was fourth down, and Aaron Rodgers pushed to go for it. Are you happy with Aaron Rodgers contributing to that decision?
MIKE TOMLIN: I love his competitive spirit. I love to support it. I like a guy that plays and plays to win. So he's an asset to us in that way certainly. Regardless of the outcome of the play, certainly it didn't unfold the way we would like, but we're prepared to die with our boots on and pursue victory and not live in our fears.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports