Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on Monday was so in-depth and complimentary of the two-win New England Patriots that even the great Bill Belichick must have blushed.
Tomlin went into extensive detail regarding New England’s defense, led by a safety tandem he clearly respects. The veteran head coach praised special teamer Matthew Slater and others, as well. But what really turned Tomlin’s press conference up a notch was the effusive praise and dissection of the Patriots quarterback room.
“Looking at their offense, particularly on a short week, I’m really concerned about the quarterback position and the things that they’re doing at the quarterback position from our preparedness standpoint,” Tomlin told reporters, per the team.
You would be hard-pressed to find another team in the league “concerned” by New England’s signal-callers. The group is arguably the worst in the league.
“They got two guys that are somewhat similar in Mac and Zap. But Malik Cunningham potentially is very different,” Tomlin said, obviously referring to Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. “They had all three up (active) just yesterday so that has our attention with how we prepare.”
Though Patriots fans might find it hard to believe, Tomlin is referring to the same Mac that was benched four times this season, two of which came with a win in reach against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants.
Zappe took over in those circumstances, and then earned his first start of the season in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers. With Zappe behind center at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, New England was shut out for the second time this season. Zappe might have been an improvement over Jones in that he didn’t turn the ball over, but his 141 passing yards on 25 attempts left a lot to be desired.
And is Tomlin talking about a different Cunningham than the one who has played merely six offensive snaps this season?
“The quarterback mobility component, particularly on a short week, is something to be focused on and make sure that we’re solid,” Tomlin said in reference to Cunningham. “Thankfully, we play enough quarterback mobility that we’re not starting at ground zero. And hopefully our cumulative history against quarterback mobility will allow us to make some quick decisions and so forth.”
We’re left to assume Tomlin just related Pittsburgh’s dealings with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, among others, to Cunningham. Belichick was asked about Cunningham’s potential role in Week 14 and did not say anything that made it seem like the undrafted rookie would receive an influx of snaps.
“And so when you’re looking at something potentially like wildcat, or quarterback mobility or quarterback-designed runs, period, they have your attention,” Tomlin continued. “It would behoove us to be prepared in that way given their present circumstance, the things that have been going on at quarterback.”
The “present circumstance” Tomlin referred to is because the Patriots don’t have the caliber of quarterback needed to compete in the NFL. It’s why New England is 2-10 and currently holds the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
One just would never know that’s the case given the way Tomlin spoke about the group.
