January 4, 2026 • 14 mins
Steelers Historian, Bob Labriola sits down with Head Coach Mike Tomlin ahead of the Steelers Week 18 matchup against the Ravens
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's the Mike Tomlin Gen Day Podcast with Steelers Digest
editor Bob Labriola. Okay, coach, you often have said that
your job is to give the team what it needs
at any particular time. What did it need on the
day after the loss in Cleveland? You know? Consistency?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You know our process if we believe in it in
which we go through the cycle. If you will, I
need to display really really solid consistency there, win or
lose man over the last month. We come in a
day after the game. We analyze our performance, not only
what we do as individuals, but what we do as
a collective of how we come to decisions, how we
(00:41):
manage the game, the quality of playing particularly insignificant moments,
all in the effort to build a more perfect plan
in divisual labor for the upcoming game. And so we
did exactly what we've done in recent weeks. We did
it the day after the game. We analyzed while we
were unsuccessful, there's a fine line between drinking wine and
(01:02):
squashing grapes in our business. We looked at the tape
with sober eyes, and that was the foundation of the
beginnings of the development of our plan for this week.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
So then, starting on Wednesday, when you introduced the plan,
what did the team need from you at that point
moving forward? Outside of the plan that you put together.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
How to properly direct our energies. We all acknowledge where
we're going to be on game day in terms of focus,
in terms of willing to do any and everything in
an effort to secure victory, but what does that look
like during the course of the week. I pay respect
(01:44):
for big games with urgency and preparation, and so on
Wednesday it was about that. It was about set a
trajectory of professionalism and urgency that reflects how we want
to perform on game day.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
When you were asked about a response from the team
following the loss to the Browns, you said that response
is action based. So based on that, were you pleased
with the response you got from the players starting on Wednesday?
Moving forward?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I certainly was We've had a really good week. We've
worked hard and smart, and believe me, at this stage
of the journey, it has to be both working hard
without vision, without the understanding that you need to get
to the stadium prepared and in the best physical condition
you can be in as a major component of being
(02:33):
ready to play this time of year. We've absorbed a
lot of snaps in stadium, We've absorbed a lot of
snaps in preparation, and so you work hard and smart,
you focus your energies. There's a heavy emphasis on walkthrough
in detail and gaining understanding through communication formally and informally.
So it's been a really good week.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Was there anything the team was able to take away
from the game in Cleveland that might be a help
in terms of the offense having to play another game
without DK metcalf.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I think, certainly, we we grow through experience, and and
that being our first game without DK, it's reasonable if
we do nothing, if we just repeat process, it's reasonable
to expect it to be better. Certainly, we're not gonna
sit on our hands and have it, but just from
that perspective, you get better through experience. That was our
(03:25):
first experience. It's reasonable to expect us to be better.
But not only that, we're we're adapting and adjusting some
division of labor and things that we're asking people to
do based on that experience. That makes that that state
statement doubly true.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
When Aaron Rodgers met with the media after the game
in Cleveland, he said he didn't play well. Do you
agree with him? I always do.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I think we're all our toughest critics, and you don't
have a resume like Aaron's unless you are. And over
the course of this journey, when he's made those statements,
I've certainly agree with him. But because I just understand
what it's about, what it's like to walk in his shoes,
the things he has to absorb and is willing to absorb,
(04:09):
and certainly I respect that component of self evol and
I am in agreement.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Just talking quarterback play here for a minute. Even I
can watch a slow motion All twenty two video and
point to a receiver and say, look right there, so
and so is open, but I'm not seeing it in
real time, or I'm not seeing it from field level.
Is that kind of thing of fair criticism? Then for
quarterback play.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
It is a component, certainly of quarterback evaluation that everyone
that plays, and really everyone that coaches, understands the differences
of perspective. You know, doing things at real time from
an inhelmet perspective is why we practice, is why practice
(04:56):
is so important. Certainly things look different from a bird's
eye view, and certainly things look different when you have
the ability to run it back or present it in
slow motion. But that's not how the game is played.
And that's just really, really a fine example of why
practice and full speed practice and preparation is such a
(05:17):
component of play.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Do you watch video with Aaron Rodgers? I do it weekly?
What are what are the kinds of things that you
discuss or go over or when you're is it just
you and him? It's me and in the quarterbacks? Okay,
so what kind of discussion what happens in those really
a myriad of things.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
We talk strategy of opposing defensive architects, how they divide
labor up, what we should anticipate from them in situations,
what their call sheet looks like, how things come off
their call sheet. Does it come off in a very
systematic way or is it somewhat hap hazard. It's all
(06:01):
based on getting an understanding of the personality of a
defensive play caller and a defense We also talk situations
situations that we could be in, how we manage them,
how we see around corners, how we communicate with the
masses in the midst of some of those moments. There's
a lot of a lot of things to be done
(06:22):
with the head coach and specifically with the quarterback. You
can't be reactionary in your thinking and or behavior, and
so we allocate time weekly in an effort to pour
into that. And certainly there's a cumulative effect. And so
certainly there's great comfort at this stage of the journey,
but it needs to be as the road gets narrow.
(06:43):
It doesn't need to be any discomfort regarding how we
go about certain situations, what's required of us in the
unique positions that we hold, and how we can help
our team orchestrate victory.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
What do you need from Patrick Queen tonight?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I needed to be defensive quarterback and what I mean
by that is not only distribute formal communication to the
rest of his unit, you know, defensive play, call down
in distant circumstances, personnel groups, etc. But the informal things
that come with the position. In year two, that's been
a significant step that he's taken. He not only knows
(07:20):
what to do, but he's absorbing the informal responsibility that
comes with his role, and certainly in a game like this,
given his knowledge of the opponent, that informal communication is big.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Patrick Ricard is a six foot three, three hundred pounds
full back. How does a defense have to deal with
him when he's in the game.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
You know, we just have to understand how they divide
labor up, and how they divide labor up is he
is a point of attack blocker in their run game.
And to be honest with you self, scout analytics and
all of that stuff's out the window. There's certain hills
that you're willing to die on, and the Ravens are
willing to die on that hill. They don't care if
(08:00):
we know. And that's how good he is at his job.
That's why he is a Pro Bowl fullback. And so
certainly we recognize as presence, and we certainly recognize what
his presence means. He is a point of attack, lead
blocker for the nuts and bolts of their running game,
and if we're going to have a solid day to day,
we certainly have to minimize his efforts with.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
The way the Ravens run the ball. Schematically, does a
defense have to allocate certain people to dealing with Recard
and then others to dealing with Derrick Henry? I mean,
is it reasonable to expect one defender to do both?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You know?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I don't know that.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
The discussion is Recard in Henry. They work as a tandem,
the quarterback keepers and things of that nature that generally
go into the other direction. The eleven or eleven football.
The design quarterback run component is really what makes it
challenging in terms of dealing with them. As I mentioned,
(08:56):
Ricard is who he is. They don't care that you know.
Card usually carries you to twenty two and that's a
certain component of their run game, and that's an attrition mindset.
And then there's the zone red component of their run
game that really encompasses Lamar's special talents of mobility, and
that creates a different challenge, an eleven on eleven challenge,
(09:20):
a really solid schematic challenge in terms of how we
allocate people. How do we stop the play side running
game which is Derrick Henry in forty two, or the
backside running game, which is the keep component, which is
what they go to often when situations are thick, and
certainly we're in a thick situation.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
You said the Ravens defense has gone to more zone
than it played in the first meeting a month ago.
How should the offense respond in passing situations when the
defense does that.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
You know, sometimes you got to take what they're willing
to give you, and that's okay. And I think that's
always the discussion when you're thinking about zone defense. They're
going to zone for a reason. They want to die slower.
They want to make you orchestrate ten to twelve play
drives as opposed to five and six play drives highlighted
(10:11):
by one on one circumstance and a chunk play, And
that really kind of outlines our scoring drives in our
first game. They usually were comprised of a significant gain.
Like the first series of the game, we hit the
long ball the DK. We hit a long ball to
Calvin Austin. We had another long ball to DK. Explosion
plays kind of represented our scoring drives. We had a
(10:34):
long scoring touchdown to Jalen Warren for example. This new
shift in their schematics I think represents their desire for
offenses to earn it. And so if that's their desire,
if they're playing in an umbrella shell, we gotta be
willing to incapable of functioning under those circumstances and still
(10:55):
drive engineering.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Our receivers asked to recoverage on the fly and a
just routes accordingly against.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Zones without question, and I think that's one of the
values of Adam Thielen, to be quite honest with you,
He's been there, done that guy. He's a crafty veteran.
He has a real good sense and feel for space,
and particularly as it pertains the zones. I often say
that about Pat Fryarmouth. He does similar things at the
tight end position. He's very zone aware. Oftentimes, when we
(11:26):
play teams that really focus on zones, like the Cincinnati Bengals,
people ask me why does Pat always play well or
play significantly When we play the Bengals. They're based in
zone defense, and so sometimes individual opportunities are based on schematics,
particularly as it pertains to how we divide our labor
(11:46):
up and so as Baltimore changes so much, the playmakers
in a game like today.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
This is the fortieth time in the Steelers Ravens series
that it's been a match up between Mike Tomlin and
John Harbaugh. Can there be anything new at this point?
Can familiarity be used as a weapon.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I think the answer to both elements of the question
is yes, there certainly can be new things because the
talent afforded us oftentimes dictates schematics, and the players their
level of readiness, their level of health individually and collectively
oftentimes dictates how you approach business. And then also just
(12:27):
the chest not checkers component of repeat competition, the closed
quarters that's associated with divisional play, and particularly when you've
been been competing against someone for so long and so
there's a certain familiarity. I'm sure he shares the same mindset.
It reminds me of the knockdown dragouts we used to
(12:49):
have with Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals and vontez
Berfeck and pac Man Jones and so forth. It's just
an honor to be in these matchups, to be in
these games, big games against familiar opponents, with with with
high stakes. That's what we sign up for, and it's
really cool to pursue and be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Tonight's matchup will be historic in that it's the first
time these teams have met in the regular season finale
where the winning team goes to the playoffs and the
losing team goes home. What kind of game do you
expect this one to.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Be reflective of that I've been I've been in a
game against this group for the AFC Championship and things
of that nature. I know what it feels like. Certainly,
there's talents, there's preparation, strategic preparation, physical preparation of the individuals.
(13:43):
Games like this, though, they come down to the will
of the men, and that's what I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I know we've got a strong will group. I'm excited
about them putting that on display in the pursuit of victory.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's the Mike Tomlin Game Day Podcast. Subscribe ib and
download new episodes every week and check out all of
the other shows we have to offer on the Steelers
Podcast Network. That's available on the Steelers Mobile app, the
iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts.
He's the Mike Tomlin Gen Day Podcast with Steelers Digest
editor Bob Labriola. Okay, coach, you often have said that
your job is to give the team what it needs
at any particular time. What did it need on the
day after the loss in Cleveland? You know? Consistency?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You know our process if we believe in it in
which we go through the cycle. If you will, I
need to display really really solid consistency there, win or
lose man over the last month. We come in a
day after the game. We analyze our performance, not only
what we do as individuals, but what we do as
a collective of how we come to decisions, how we
(00:41):
manage the game, the quality of playing particularly insignificant moments,
all in the effort to build a more perfect plan
in divisual labor for the upcoming game. And so we
did exactly what we've done in recent weeks. We did
it the day after the game. We analyzed while we
were unsuccessful, there's a fine line between drinking wine and
(01:02):
squashing grapes in our business. We looked at the tape
with sober eyes, and that was the foundation of the
beginnings of the development of our plan for this week.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
So then, starting on Wednesday, when you introduced the plan,
what did the team need from you at that point
moving forward? Outside of the plan that you put together.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
How to properly direct our energies. We all acknowledge where
we're going to be on game day in terms of focus,
in terms of willing to do any and everything in
an effort to secure victory, but what does that look
like during the course of the week. I pay respect
(01:44):
for big games with urgency and preparation, and so on
Wednesday it was about that. It was about set a
trajectory of professionalism and urgency that reflects how we want
to perform on game day.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
When you were asked about a response from the team
following the loss to the Browns, you said that response
is action based. So based on that, were you pleased
with the response you got from the players starting on Wednesday?
Moving forward?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I certainly was We've had a really good week. We've
worked hard and smart, and believe me, at this stage
of the journey, it has to be both working hard
without vision, without the understanding that you need to get
to the stadium prepared and in the best physical condition
you can be in as a major component of being
(02:33):
ready to play this time of year. We've absorbed a
lot of snaps in stadium, We've absorbed a lot of
snaps in preparation, and so you work hard and smart,
you focus your energies. There's a heavy emphasis on walkthrough
in detail and gaining understanding through communication formally and informally.
So it's been a really good week.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Was there anything the team was able to take away
from the game in Cleveland that might be a help
in terms of the offense having to play another game
without DK metcalf.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I think, certainly, we we grow through experience, and and
that being our first game without DK, it's reasonable if
we do nothing, if we just repeat process, it's reasonable
to expect it to be better. Certainly, we're not gonna
sit on our hands and have it, but just from
that perspective, you get better through experience. That was our
(03:25):
first experience. It's reasonable to expect us to be better.
But not only that, we're we're adapting and adjusting some
division of labor and things that we're asking people to
do based on that experience. That makes that that state
statement doubly true.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
When Aaron Rodgers met with the media after the game
in Cleveland, he said he didn't play well. Do you
agree with him? I always do.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I think we're all our toughest critics, and you don't
have a resume like Aaron's unless you are. And over
the course of this journey, when he's made those statements,
I've certainly agree with him. But because I just understand
what it's about, what it's like to walk in his shoes,
the things he has to absorb and is willing to absorb,
(04:09):
and certainly I respect that component of self evol and
I am in agreement.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Just talking quarterback play here for a minute. Even I
can watch a slow motion All twenty two video and
point to a receiver and say, look right there, so
and so is open, but I'm not seeing it in
real time, or I'm not seeing it from field level.
Is that kind of thing of fair criticism? Then for
quarterback play.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
It is a component, certainly of quarterback evaluation that everyone
that plays, and really everyone that coaches, understands the differences
of perspective. You know, doing things at real time from
an inhelmet perspective is why we practice, is why practice
(04:56):
is so important. Certainly things look different from a bird's
eye view, and certainly things look different when you have
the ability to run it back or present it in
slow motion. But that's not how the game is played.
And that's just really, really a fine example of why
practice and full speed practice and preparation is such a
(05:17):
component of play.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Do you watch video with Aaron Rodgers? I do it weekly?
What are what are the kinds of things that you
discuss or go over or when you're is it just
you and him? It's me and in the quarterbacks? Okay,
so what kind of discussion what happens in those really
a myriad of things.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
We talk strategy of opposing defensive architects, how they divide
labor up, what we should anticipate from them in situations,
what their call sheet looks like, how things come off
their call sheet. Does it come off in a very
systematic way or is it somewhat hap hazard. It's all
(06:01):
based on getting an understanding of the personality of a
defensive play caller and a defense We also talk situations
situations that we could be in, how we manage them,
how we see around corners, how we communicate with the
masses in the midst of some of those moments. There's
a lot of a lot of things to be done
(06:22):
with the head coach and specifically with the quarterback. You
can't be reactionary in your thinking and or behavior, and
so we allocate time weekly in an effort to pour
into that. And certainly there's a cumulative effect. And so
certainly there's great comfort at this stage of the journey,
but it needs to be as the road gets narrow.
(06:43):
It doesn't need to be any discomfort regarding how we
go about certain situations, what's required of us in the
unique positions that we hold, and how we can help
our team orchestrate victory.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
What do you need from Patrick Queen tonight?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I needed to be defensive quarterback and what I mean
by that is not only distribute formal communication to the
rest of his unit, you know, defensive play, call down
in distant circumstances, personnel groups, etc. But the informal things
that come with the position. In year two, that's been
a significant step that he's taken. He not only knows
(07:20):
what to do, but he's absorbing the informal responsibility that
comes with his role, and certainly in a game like this,
given his knowledge of the opponent, that informal communication is big.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Patrick Ricard is a six foot three, three hundred pounds
full back. How does a defense have to deal with
him when he's in the game.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
You know, we just have to understand how they divide
labor up, and how they divide labor up is he
is a point of attack blocker in their run game.
And to be honest with you self, scout analytics and
all of that stuff's out the window. There's certain hills
that you're willing to die on, and the Ravens are
willing to die on that hill. They don't care if
(08:00):
we know. And that's how good he is at his job.
That's why he is a Pro Bowl fullback. And so
certainly we recognize as presence, and we certainly recognize what
his presence means. He is a point of attack, lead
blocker for the nuts and bolts of their running game,
and if we're going to have a solid day to day,
we certainly have to minimize his efforts with.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
The way the Ravens run the ball. Schematically, does a
defense have to allocate certain people to dealing with Recard
and then others to dealing with Derrick Henry? I mean,
is it reasonable to expect one defender to do both?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You know?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I don't know that.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
The discussion is Recard in Henry. They work as a tandem,
the quarterback keepers and things of that nature that generally
go into the other direction. The eleven or eleven football.
The design quarterback run component is really what makes it
challenging in terms of dealing with them. As I mentioned,
(08:56):
Ricard is who he is. They don't care that you know.
Card usually carries you to twenty two and that's a
certain component of their run game, and that's an attrition mindset.
And then there's the zone red component of their run
game that really encompasses Lamar's special talents of mobility, and
that creates a different challenge, an eleven on eleven challenge,
(09:20):
a really solid schematic challenge in terms of how we
allocate people. How do we stop the play side running
game which is Derrick Henry in forty two, or the
backside running game, which is the keep component, which is
what they go to often when situations are thick, and
certainly we're in a thick situation.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
You said the Ravens defense has gone to more zone
than it played in the first meeting a month ago.
How should the offense respond in passing situations when the
defense does that.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
You know, sometimes you got to take what they're willing
to give you, and that's okay. And I think that's
always the discussion when you're thinking about zone defense. They're
going to zone for a reason. They want to die slower.
They want to make you orchestrate ten to twelve play
drives as opposed to five and six play drives highlighted
(10:11):
by one on one circumstance and a chunk play, And
that really kind of outlines our scoring drives in our
first game. They usually were comprised of a significant gain.
Like the first series of the game, we hit the
long ball the DK. We hit a long ball to
Calvin Austin. We had another long ball to DK. Explosion
plays kind of represented our scoring drives. We had a
(10:34):
long scoring touchdown to Jalen Warren for example. This new
shift in their schematics I think represents their desire for
offenses to earn it. And so if that's their desire,
if they're playing in an umbrella shell, we gotta be
willing to incapable of functioning under those circumstances and still
(10:55):
drive engineering.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Our receivers asked to recoverage on the fly and a
just routes accordingly against.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Zones without question, and I think that's one of the
values of Adam Thielen, to be quite honest with you,
He's been there, done that guy. He's a crafty veteran.
He has a real good sense and feel for space,
and particularly as it pertains the zones. I often say
that about Pat Fryarmouth. He does similar things at the
tight end position. He's very zone aware. Oftentimes, when we
(11:26):
play teams that really focus on zones, like the Cincinnati Bengals,
people ask me why does Pat always play well or
play significantly When we play the Bengals. They're based in
zone defense, and so sometimes individual opportunities are based on schematics,
particularly as it pertains to how we divide our labor
(11:46):
up and so as Baltimore changes so much, the playmakers
in a game like today.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
This is the fortieth time in the Steelers Ravens series
that it's been a match up between Mike Tomlin and
John Harbaugh. Can there be anything new at this point?
Can familiarity be used as a weapon.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I think the answer to both elements of the question
is yes, there certainly can be new things because the
talent afforded us oftentimes dictates schematics, and the players their
level of readiness, their level of health individually and collectively
oftentimes dictates how you approach business. And then also just
(12:27):
the chest not checkers component of repeat competition, the closed
quarters that's associated with divisional play, and particularly when you've
been been competing against someone for so long and so
there's a certain familiarity. I'm sure he shares the same mindset.
It reminds me of the knockdown dragouts we used to
(12:49):
have with Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals and vontez
Berfeck and pac Man Jones and so forth. It's just
an honor to be in these matchups, to be in
these games, big games against familiar opponents, with with with
high stakes. That's what we sign up for, and it's
really cool to pursue and be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Tonight's matchup will be historic in that it's the first
time these teams have met in the regular season finale
where the winning team goes to the playoffs and the
losing team goes home. What kind of game do you
expect this one to.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Be reflective of that I've been I've been in a
game against this group for the AFC Championship and things
of that nature. I know what it feels like. Certainly,
there's talents, there's preparation, strategic preparation, physical preparation of the individuals.
(13:43):
Games like this, though, they come down to the will
of the men, and that's what I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I know we've got a strong will group. I'm excited
about them putting that on display in the pursuit of victory.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's the Mike Tomlin Game Day Podcast. Subscribe ib and
download new episodes every week and check out all of
the other shows we have to offer on the Steelers
Podcast Network. That's available on the Steelers Mobile app, the
iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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