Tomlin’s Decision to Punt Backfired on Steelers in Loss to Eagles: ‘The Distance Was a Little Too Uncomfortable for Me’
PITTSBURGH — With the Pittsburgh Steelers trailing 27-13 early in the fourth quarter and facing fourth-and-7 from Philadelphia’s 46-yard line, Mike Tomlin decided to send punter Corliss Waitman on the field instead of going for it.
Tomlin revealed on Monday that the he just didn’t feel comfortable with the down and distance. He also didn’t expect the Eagles to drain the final 10 minutes, 29 seconds of the game.
“Had it been inside fourth-and-5, I’d definitely have gone for it,” Tomlin said Monday at his weekly news conference. “From an analytical perspective, the further you are away from the line to gain, the less you are of success.
“We had three timeouts. I took the chance and thought we could stop them, get the ball back and play the field position game. The distance was a little too uncomfortable for me.”
The Eagles had a mind-blowing 21-play, 88-yard drive to close out the game. The Steelers finished with 163 yards against the Eagles, their fewest since they had 127 in a 19-11 victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 19, 2010.
The Steelers were 3 of 10 on third down, while the Eagles were an efficient 10 of 17 on third down. The Eagles out-gained the Steelers, 401-163, and out-possessed Pittsburgh, 39:52-20:08.
The 14-point win really didn’t indicate how much of lopsided game it was. Philadelphia showcased that they’re in another class than the Steelers.
“I believe that our defense is capable of getting off the field,” Tomlin said. “That probably was a component of the decision to punt on fourth-and-7. I understand how the game was going, but I’ve been working with these guys day-in and day-out for a long time. Particularly in the weighty moments, I’ve got confidence in them, and that confidence is unwavering.”
Aaron Becker provided reporting from Pittsburgh
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