PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a tough spot after losing their third-straight game and falling to 7-7 on the season. And according to head coach Mike Tomlin, “everything” is on the table to be changed heading into Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers have fallen into last place in the AFC North and out of the playoff picture in the conference. Now, with their backs against the wall, they’re looking at everything – from schematics to coaches to players – to try and find a solution to their downfall.
“I don’t necessarily have the answers as I sit here today. If I had the answers, we would’ve played differently today. But I will acknowledge that things won’t continue the way that they are,” Tomlin said. “We’re not going to keep doing the same things that we’re doing and expect or hope for a different result.
“So, we’ve got a seven-day turnaround. We’ll see what those seven days hold for us. But I’m just acknowledging right now that we’re playing losing football. And I own that. Not a good day.”
The Steelers decided to make a quarterback change late against the Colts benching Mitch Trubisky for Mason Rudolph. They’ll likely open a competition between the two this week, which could be part of the anticipated change.
Play-calling and a number of position groups can also be under the microscope for the Steelers. Inside linebacker and safety have been beaten up with injuries, but with the limited depth they have, Pittsburgh might try to find their best pieces.
Offensively, everything could be on the table. Despite a change at offensive coordinator several weeks ago, the team has somehow gotten worse on offense and may evaluate all positions to see if anyone, or anything, needs to be changed.
Pittsburgh will host the Bengals in Week 16 before traveling to Seattle to face the Seahawks and finishing the year on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. They’ll likely need to win all three to try and climb back into the playoffs.
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