Mike Tomlin\u00a0is only sort of joking when the Pittsburgh Steelers coach says he feels like he’s been on the hot seat during the entirety of his 19-year tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always feel like I got something to prove,\u201d Tomlin said. \u201cNot necessarily to anyone in particular. That\u2019s just the spirit in which I go about what I do professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spirit that has served Tomlin well throughout his nearly two-decade-long run in Pittsburgh, and one that hasn’t been lost among those who have watched Tomlin from afar, though Miami coach\u00a0Mike McDaniel\u00a0will get an up-close look on Monday night when\u00a0the Dolphins (6-7)\u00a0visit\u00a0the Steelers (7-6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think (Tomlin’s teams) play physically every year, regardless of what the nameplates are, and they find a way to play sound football and they become pretty hard to beat,\u201d McDaniel said. \u201cSo you know, I think that\u2019s by and large what the last two decades have taught us, is being able to inspire a group of individuals to come together and win more than they lose. I think within that there\u2019s a lot of pride in the organization and the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just two weeks ago, the Steelers’ season appeared on the verge of spinning out of control following a\u00a0dismal home loss to Buffalo\u00a0that dropped Pittsburgh into a first-place tie with Baltimore atop the AFC North and led a portion of the fans who stuck around until the end to call for Tomlin’s firing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All the Steelers did was respond\u00a0by beating the Ravens on the road\u00a0to restore their division lead and offer a reminder that they are dangerous, even if they’re rarely dominant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Tomlin’s critics are quick to point out the team hasn’t won a playoff game in eight-plus years, Pittsburgh has also never bottomed out. Tomlin’s next losing season will be his first and as jagged as the Steelers have been over the last three months, they’re also right where they expected to be despite a midseason funk in which they dropped five of seven and looked overmatched against quality teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy when, if you lose a few games, to fall into selfish cliques and do stuff like that,\u201d Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. \u201cAnd our guys don\u2019t do that. Our guys just figure out, \u2018Hey, how can we work hard to figure out a way to get us out of this rut and keep moving forward?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s been much the same in Miami. This year, anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dolphins appeared in disarray following an ugly 2-7 start that cost general manager Chris Grier his job. McDaniel’s job status seemed tenuous at best \u2014 and still may well be \u2014 but Miami has responded by winning four straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere’s a lot of hard work that\u2019s going into our game, a lot of pride that\u2019s taken in how we play football,\u201d McDaniel said. “So to watch a brand unique unto ourselves in three phases, I really appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Steelers and Dolphins pulled off a\u00a0rare blockbuster trade\u00a0during the summer doldrums in late June when Pittsburgh sent safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in exchange for defensive back Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move may have worked for both sides. Ramsey has stabilized the Pittsburgh secondary after moving to safety following a season-ending injury to DeShon Elliott. Fitzpatrick has thrived while bouncing between safety and slot corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d Austin said of Fitzpatrick. \u201cHe\u2019s really smart, really tough, got a nose for the ball, makes the guys around him better, really good communicator, all the good things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fitzpatrick, in his typical understated fashion, downplayed the importance of seeing so many familiar faces on the other sideline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, the only reason why it\u2019s a big week this week is because we\u2019ve got a game and we\u2019ve got to win it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rodgers and Pittsburgh’s passing game broke out of a month-long funk against the Ravens, stretching the field in a way they had been unable to for long stretches this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NFL’s oldest (OK, now second-oldest thanks to the return of Philip Rivers) player unleashed a 53-yard strike to DK Metcalf on the first play in Baltimore and kept on firing on his way to a season-high 284 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The arrival of Adam Thielen and the promotion of Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the gameday roster gave Rodgers experienced options opposite Metcalf, and Metcalf ended up having by far his best game of the season (seven receptions, 147 yards).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know what winning looks like,\u201d Metcalf said. \u201cWe know what I think we still have yet to play our best football game because we had a little lull in the second half, but we\u2019re definitely heading in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tua Tagovailoa was impressed that Rodgers has been putting up numbers at age 42. The Dolphins quarterback was even more excited at the idea of Rivers doing that at age 44.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDude,\u201d Tagovailoa said. “Now we got Philip Rivers (back)? That\u2019s dope. These are guys that I used to freaking watch when when I was young, young, you know? And so now that Philip gets an opportunity to come back, that\u2019s super cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd then A-rod, I mean everyone knows he can still throw it, he can still sling it, whether he\u2019s on the opposite 40 throwing it to the back left side pylon, you know he\u2019s still got it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"