NFL News: Mike Tomlin sends clear message to Aaron Rodgers and Steelers after loss against Joe Flacco and Bengals

Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost 33-31 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the start of Week 7. The head coach was blunt with his players, pointing out that it’s very hard to win in the NFL when you don’t stop the running game and also don’t control the turnover battle.

“Just from an analysis perspective, I just thought that in the first half we allowed them to run the ball too much. I think they had about 100 yards rushing at the half and then we turned the ball over a couple of times. So, that just kind of set a negative trajectory and we were fighting uphill the rest of the way. I certainly appreciate the fight, but, man, we got to be cleaner. We got to be better and we weren’t tonight. That’s life in this business. We certainly got to learn from it and keep pushing.”

Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers had a great chance to open up a huge gap in the AFC North, but once again, the defense collapsed, and the two turnovers in the first half were key in shifting the momentum of the game. Now, the Bengals and Ravens have renewed their hopes of fighting for the division, and Pittsburgh’s schedule gets tougher with upcoming matchups against the Packers, Colts, and Chargers.

Why did Steelers lose to Bengals?

The Steelers lost to the Bengals because the defense couldn’t stop Joe Flacco, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. They also allowed the worst rushing attack in the NFL to come alive, letting Chase Brown rack up more than 100 yards.

For that reason, Mike Tomlin gave all the credit to his opponents. “A tough hard fought game, but certainly you got to give credit to those guys, the Bengals. They did was what required to win. They made a few more plays than we did. I’d be remiss if I didn’t compliment them. They fought their tails off. They won the game and they certainly deserving.”

Will Steelers fire Mike Tomlin?

Mike Tomlin is under contract through the 2027 season, but the poor performances of the defense, his specialty, are starting to create a lot of uncertainty among fans and experts. We can’t forget that the unit led by T.J. Watt, Jalen Ramsey, and Cam Heyward is the highest-paid in the NFL and hasn’t delivered in key games.

Joe Flacco, with just 10 days of preparation as new member of the Bengals, threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, while Ja’Marr Chase had a historic day in his brilliant career with 16 receptions, 161 yards, and a touchdown.