Winning prevails over tanking.
The Steelers have now stacked multiple wins together for the first time this season, and it's no accident that progress from the younger players on the roster has coincided with winning football games. And, in a time when this franchise is in transition from a future Hall of Fame quarterback, the development of younger players is paramount.
Now, I could wrap up this column very quickly and tell you to go down the North Shore and watch the Pirates, giving you a shining example of what happens when an organization fails themselves and their fan base by setting a horrible, divisive precedent. They'd rather wait for the cavalry of prospects to come and save the day rather than pour every possible resource into a full-blown effort to try to win.
Instead, when Mike Tomlin stepped up to the podium for his Tuesday press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, I took the opportunity to ask him what role winning football games plays in all the components of a player's development.
"Their development also produces the wins. So, it's the chicken or the egg," Tomlin said. "We don't grade on a curve. Oftentimes when I'm asked about Kenny [Pickett], I talk about his progression and the rate of his progression, but I always include in that statement that we're not grading on a curve. We expect him to produce wins while this development is happening. And, it's the same thing for all those guys. They're growing, and growing in the right ways because of the victories. Their play is producing the victories. So, let's keep it going."
I've not had to look far and wide to find Steelers fans who want this team to tank and capitalize on the added bonus of having the high second-round pick acquired in the Chase Claypool trade with the Bears. There are those salivating at the thought of the Steelers having three selections in the first 40 or so picks, including a potential top 10 pick.
However, I could equate high draft picks with the aforementioned cavalry the Pirates are so desperately leaning on for contention. Just as there is no guarantee those prospects will pan out for the Buccos, there's no guarantee higher draft picks secures a left tackle, defensive tackle or cornerback that will become a mainstay on the South Side.
As Tomlin so clearly pointed out, winning games provides a healthy two-way street for young players that need to develop. It's Tomlin's job to set the expectation that they must win football games. In turn, the players -- regardless of their respective levels of experience -- are to deliver those wins.
No doubt, that's a lot to ask. It can be quite overwhelming for inexperienced players, and Tomlin is relying on a heavy helping of inexperience to win football games.
Remember who the core players are on offense: Pickett and George Pickens are rookies while Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth are only in their second year. On the defensive side, players such as DeMarvin Leal are asked to step in multiple roles when a player with T.J. Watt's caliber goes down with an injury.
Therein lies the difference between aiming to win and tanking. The latter, while a short-term solution to increase the chances of drafting higher-quality prospects, wastes valuable, precious time for players who are on this team now. When players are challenged to win week after week after week, it's much clearer to see who's going to be here for the long haul.
When Tomlin demands winning of his players, regardless of the opponent or circumstance, he's going to find out two things: Which players roll over and give up when things get too hard, and which players refuse to settle for anything less than winning -- both mentally and with what they do on the football field.
Remember when Harris was being called "Trent Richardson 2.0" by fans? As Richie Grant can attest, Harris is now running with a purpose and has been for a few weeks:
What's been some of Pickett's biggest knocks this season? Interceptions have been one, and Pickett currently owns a streak of 128 passes without a pick, and some of those games have been played against teams such as the Saints, Bengals and Colts -- all who are in the top half of the league against the pass.
I've also written several times of Pickett's need to get through his progressions quicker while being able to sense pressure. This has been getting better and better every week, and this pass to Benny Snell this past Sunday personifies his growth in that area:
What you were unable to see before the pass there was Pickett going through at least two different reads, then use his legs to extend the play and ultimately find his checkdown for a positive play.
These tiny steps of development are better nurtured in a winning environment. That's what Tomlin will always demand of his players. Not because he needs a winning record to maintain his legacy, but because that's what one does in an organization that expects winning.
I've spent ample time in both the Pirates' clubhouse and the Steelers locker room this year, and I can attest to how demoralizing it can be for the psyche of players when they are literally put in a no-win situation.
Will the Steelers flip this season on its head, run the table and sneak into the playoffs once again? Despite the favorable schedule the rest of the way, probably not. If this team somehow pulls it off, it'll do wonders for this group to turn a 3-7 start into a postseason berth.
If and when they fail, or even finish with a sub-.500 record, they will go down swinging. More important, Tomlin will have maximized the development for players that are just as much part of the future as the players to be selected in the NFL Draft next spring.
MORE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
• Pickens' frustration over his lack of targets has caused quite a ruckus on social media and in the comment sections of sites throughout the internet. Some see a competitor that wants to be part of the reason why the team is winning while others see a rookie throwing a toddler-like temper tantrum.
Tomlin was very clear on where he stands with Pickens:
"I'd rather say whoa than sic 'em," Tomlin said. "I want a guy that wants to be a significant part of what it is that we do. Now the appropriate and professional and mature way to express that, we're growing and working on and we will continue to. But that spirit, that competitive spirit, the guy who wants the ball. I want that guy. I would imagine T.J. [Watt] wants to lay the quarterback down more.
"We got competitors. This is professional football. These guys know that they have to deliver and so for a guy that wants to do that, I'm not going to make that a negative, no matter how silly I think the commentary is or people talking about him expressing frustrations and stuff and trying to make it a negative storyline. I laugh at that. That's one of the reasons why we're continually progressing because we're capable of tuning that BS out."
• The Ravens will most likely not have Lamar Jackson under center this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Tyler Huntley will step in as the starter, but that doesn't mean Tomlin is taking Baltimore lightly without their star quarterback.
"They're one of the few teams that have major quarterback mobility that have done a consistent job of making sure that mobility isn't lost when they're quarterback goes down, whether it's Huntley, [Trace] McSorely or RGIII (Robert Griffin III)," Tomlin said. "You think about the last four or five years, they've always got quality backups that are capable of delivering the schematics they choose to employ. Quarterback mobility is going to be an issue in this game, no matter who is playing. We had better be sharp in that area. We had better minimize that component of play. It's a signature of the Ravens' attack."
• When it comes to preparing for Huntley, Tomlin had quite a bit to say about the Ravens' backup quarterback:
"I'll tell you, one thing I know and learn is that I look at it from his perspective. That’s a guy that had an opportunity to get an extended amount of play last year," Tomlin said. "When you don't have a long playing resume and you go into an offseason, it’s somewhat mystical, the errors in your game that you need to work on. I would imagine last year’s experience really narrowed his focus as he went into the offseason. He was able to identify tangible areas of his game that he needed to improve, and I'm sure that they were as well.
"So, we're not going to seek comfort or find comfort in the fact that we've been in the stadium with him before. Last year's exposure for him probably more than anything just tells us we’d better be prepared for a guy that’s significantly better. When you've played and you've had experience, and you're no longer speculating. He's not speculating what it's like to be in a stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers; he has that experience in his hip pocket. We’d better assume that he's going to be significantly better, in the same ways that we're not surprised that Kenny is getting better with each opportunity. Every week, you guys ask me how and why Kenny is getting better: Exposure. I can say the same thing about their quarterback play, and the experience that he gained from a year ago."
• Tomlin understands his team took far too long to stack wins for the first time this season, and understands what needs to be done to accomplish the aspiration of clinching a playoff berth.
"The sand is running through the hourglass in terms of us stating a case for ourselves," Tomlin said. "We recognize that, we've recognized that for some time now. That’s why we've worked with the urgency that we've worked with for some time, just trying to get back into conversations and find a level of consistency that produces wins on a consistent basis."
• Tomlin was on fire with the Tomlinisms today. My favorite of the day focused on the upcoming matchup with Baltimore: "It takes two to tango, and they're a great dance partner."
• On the health front, Chukwuma Okorafor (shoulder) will be limited to start the week. Expect Watt and Larry Ogunjobi to remain limited as they deal with "bumps and bruises," as described by Tomlin.
Tomlin also confirmed Watt's ribs are what's bothering him. Either way, it's clear Watt's not playing at 100 percent.
• Chris Boswell (groin) and William Jackson III (back) are eligible to return from injured reserve, but Tomlin made no commitment to their availability in practice this week.
"Let's see what the work looks like before we start going too far," Tomlin said, "and keep our energies focused on the guys that we know could be available to us as we stand here right now."
