Mike Tomlin Wants Steelers To Focus On Execution, Not Officials

Diontae Johnson did not mince immoderate words.

The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was livid past Sunday pursuing a 20-10 nonaccomplishment to nan Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson believed nan officials were to blasted for nan conclusion that dropped nan Steelers’ grounds to 4-3.

“They were calling immoderate stupid stuff,” Johnson told reporters. “They should get fined for making unspeakable calls. That's really (mad) I americium because they costs america nan game. I don’t attraction what cipher says, they costs america nan game.

“(The referees) must’ve sewage paid bully coming aliases something. (The referees) wanted (Jacksonville) to win. Everything was successful their favor. They were getting each small call. But it is what it is.”

Johnson’s discontent was chiefly astir 2 roughing nan passer penalties – 1 that was called connected nan Steelers and different that thought should person been called connected nan Jaguars.

Steelers information Keanu Neal was called for roughing Trevor Lawrence successful nan first quarter. Just earlier halftime, Steelers backmost Kenny Pickett near nan crippled pinch a rib wounded aft being drilled by protect extremity Adam Gotsis.

“Y’all are expected to beryllium protecting us,” Johnson said. “That’s our quarterback. He sewage slammed. He’s not allowed to slam anybody. It’s difficult because you request your backmost retired location astatine nan extremity of nan day. We gotta rotation pinch nan adjacent guy. That messes up nan full gameplan truthful now we gotta scramble to fig things retired again.”

The Steelers were besides upset that they had a section extremity wiped retired by an offsides telephone precocious successful nan 2nd 4th that would person closed their shortage to 9-6.

However, coach Mike Tomlin does not want immoderate of nan Steelers’ disenchantment pinch nan officials to transportation complete to Thursday nighttime erstwhile they big nan Tennessee Titans (3-4) astatine Acrisure Stadium. During his play news convention connected Monday, Tomlin declined to pin nan blasted for nan nonaccomplishment connected nan measurement nan crippled was called.

“It is our desire to triumph definitively, wherever perchance arguable calls are little significant,” Tomlin said. “That’s what bully teams do. That’s what elite teams do. It’s our desire to beryllium a bully and elite squad truthful that we’re not arsenic flimsy and go a constituent of immoderate debatable calls and things of that nature.

“I admit location was immoderate of that successful nan game, but it’s immoderate of that successful astir games, to beryllium rather honorable pinch you, things that are tin of being reviewed aliases assessed successful that way. I for illustration to attraction my energies connected nan things that are wrong our control, nan value of our execution, and I deliberation erstwhile you do that definitively, it makes those discussions little relevant.”

Penalties person not been a problem for nan Steelers this season, though. They are 29th among nan 32 NFL teams pinch an mean of 5.1 a game.

What Tomlin would for illustration to spot this week is amended execution connected nan portion of his players.

He was bothered by mistakes past Sunday that included Pickett not connecting pinch Johnson connected a agelong walk complete nan mediate connected nan first play of nan crippled and underthrowing George Pickens connected a heavy sideline route. A miscommunication connected defense allowed Lawrence to link pinch moving backmost Travis Etienne connected a 56-yard walk that resulted successful nan Jaguars’ lone touchdown.

“We’re going to proceed to activity and activity to amended and make those plays pinch overmuch much consistency and position our guys to beryllium successful much of those circumstances truthful that we tin get nan type of starts that we request for nan games to unfold successful a much fluid manner, much to our vision, if you will, arsenic opposed to trying to adjacent nan region successful nan 2nd half,” Tomlin said.

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