Mike Tomlin Reveals Why Steelers Went For It On 4th Down

[HollywoodSteel]

You can keep repeating the same things over and over. I get it. It seems unreasonable that the Steelers couldn't get this corrected. But every single previous kick indicates that they hadn't and wouldn't. There is a post going around the internets today that Lawrence was holding Dotson down and the other 1-2 defenders were jumping/slipping into the C/G gap that created. It is super obvious to see. I am certain that Dotson and the entire Steelers sideline was able to diagnose what was going on. And they were unable to develop a response. Now we can debate all day long about why not. I don't know. But there is unequivocal evidence that they didn't get it fixed.

Why would anyone sign up for doing the same thing again? I don't like the play they did end up calling on 4th and 1 but I certainly liked that better than lining up to have a FG blocked.

The last FG the Steelers attempted was successful.

I think it was more of Tomlin going with his gut than anything else and wanting to put it away.

I’ve seen coaches not kick when they lacked confidence in the actual kicker, or maybe if the long snapper or some important player was injured. But I’ve never heard of a coach reaching a conclusion that the other team figured out how to routinely block FG attempts in such a way that it was likely to keep happening. Especially since the other team blocked exactly one kick. And not even the most recent attempt.

I’m not trying to argue with you. I’m saying sometimes Tomlin doesn’t really think things through logically. Something makes sense to him in the moment and he acts.

He saw 4th and 1 and wanted to impose his will to win the game. If it had worked it would have looked cool and super tough. But in failure it was embarrassing and gave the other team a real opportunity to win.

Maybe Tomlin didn’t want the possibility of OT. He wanted to win or lose and get out of there. Who knows? But legit fear of having an easy FG blocked seems silly. It’s either always a fear or it’s never a fear. And I have a feeling it’s not a fear Tomlin will ever have again, and not because we totally change our FG blocking scheme in such a way that could only be figured after the game.

[HollywoodSteel]

I figure there's a better than 50% chance the kick gets blocked. More like 2/3.


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There’s no way you believe there was a 2/3 chance it gets blocked.

Have we just been defying those crazy odds for years? Or was there something magical about Dallas’s kick blocking ability?

We saw a kick get blocked... exactly once. And suddenly it’s MORE likely to get blocked than not? This is frightening if true.

[86WARD]

There’s no way you believe there was a 2/3 chance it gets blocked.

Have we just been defying those crazy odds for years? Or was there something magical about Dallas’s kick blocking ability?

We saw a kick get blocked... exactly once. And suddenly it’s MORE likely to get blocked than not? This is frightening if true.

They also missed two and the Cowboys got through...EVERY SINGLE TIME...lol. If that gets blocked, then your narrative is why wouldn’t they run it?!?! The play they called on offense is what you should be criticizing. Not going for a FG and going for the finish is the right call.

[teegre]

Two options:

Plan A:
Best case: you make the FG, but you give the ball back to the Cowboys.

Plan B:
Gain 1 measly yard... and never give the ball back to the Cowboys.

[cubanstogie]

Two options:

Plan A:
Best case: you make the FG, but you give the ball back to the Cowboys.

Plan B:
Gain 1 measly yard... and never give the ball back to the Cowboys.

Plan c :
run the ball, get stopped and give dallas chance to win outright. They literally win game in all three scenarios. Plan c was proof of that. We are beating a dead horse here.

[Born2Steel]

Here is Tomlin's reason for going for it on 4th and 1. Like the playcall or not, this was the process and the answer. Move on.

[Mojouw]

There’s no way you believe there was a 2/3 chance it gets blocked.

Have we just been defying those crazy odds for years? Or was there something magical about Dallas’s kick blocking ability?

We saw a kick get blocked... exactly once. And suddenly it’s MORE likely to get blocked than not? This is frightening if true.

I missed the missed PAT - didn't see what happened. But every other Steelers FG or PAT was either blocked or had multiple Dallas defenders running straight up the gut. Dallas discovered/created a serious flaw in the Steelers kick protection that was not getting dealt with in game.

As for the offensive play call, like it or not that is there GO TO running play. They run it whenever they think they need to pound the ball.

They also missed two and the Cowboys got through...EVERY SINGLE TIME...lol. If that gets blocked, then your narrative is why wouldn’t they run it?!?! The play they called on offense is what you should be criticizing. Not going for a FG and going for the finish is the right call.