Tomlin on Bell's late TD: 'We were going to go for it'
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said during his Tuesday news conference he considered no other option but to give the ball to running back Le'Veon Bell at the goal line in the final seconds of a 24-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers on “Monday Night Football.”
For Tomlin, it wasn't about winning or losing. It mostly was about the courage of his convictions — or not being controlled by a fear of failure.
“There was no hesitation. We were going to go for it,” said Tomlin, who added he and the coaching staff discussed the scenario on Saturday. “We were going to play to win; not to lose. We don't live in our fears, and I like that our group embraces that.”
Tomlin said there was no chance that Bell, who scored as time expired from the 1 out of the wildcat formation, would throw the ball to quarterback Mike Vick, who was lined up as a receiver on the final play.
“We were going to give (Bell) the ball,” Tomlin said. “I like to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers.
“I've got some decisions to make. I'm trying to win football games.”
The Steelers made one personnel decision Tuesday when Martavis Bryant, who sat out the San Diego game after a four-game suspension, was activated. Safety Ross Ventrone (Chartiers Valley) was released to make room for Bryant on the roster,
Tomlin said he expects inside linebacker Ryan Shazier to be “available to us” when the Steelers face the Arizona Cardinals (4-1) on Sunday at Heinz Field.
Shazier practiced last week, but missed a third consecutive game with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Cortez Allen (knee) also appears prepared to return for the first time since the season opener at New England.
Safety Will Allen injured his ankle and had an MRI on Tuesday. There was no update on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's injured knee.
Despite escaping San Diego with last-play victory, Tomlin still has concerns as the Steelers prepare for the Cardinals. He isn't pleased at how often the offense stalled at midfield and the inordinate number of penalties in the kicking game.
“The penalties in the kicking game really hurt us from a field position standpoint,” Tomlin said. “It's really unacceptable. It hasn't been us, but it was us Monday night.
“It's tough enough to drive the ball and possess the ball when you don't have your starting quarterback.
“So, to routinely give yourself a long field through penalties was a detriment to our efforts in the football game.
“I would like to see us win a few more possession downs once we crossed the 50,” Tomlin said. “The drives stalled on what I refer to as the field-goal fringe where we were sending out our red-zone punt unit quite a bit. Usually, that's reflective of an offense stalling around midfield.”
The Steelers were 5 of 14 in third-down efficiency. However, the defense limited to San Diego to 29 percent (4 of 14) on third down.
Ralph N. Paulk is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at rpaulk@tribweb.com or via Twitter @RalphPaulk_Trib.
