(Pittsburgh) Technically, Mike Tomlin was talking about what happens in the locker room.
But the way the Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing this season, he might as well have been talking about what’s happening on the field.
“I can’t give you all the ingredients in the hot dog,” the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach said with a smile this week when asked about the process of handing out a game ball after a victory.
“You might not like it.”
Except, of course, the taste of the finished product. Tomlin knows that as long as it tastes good, no one cares what’s in it.
So forgive him if he doesn’t apologize for the way the Steelers played the first two weeks.
Yes, the offense is not up to par. Yes, receivers not named George Pickens need to start producing.
Yes, quarterback Justin Fields has been more focused on not losing than winning as he replaces the injured Russell Wilson.
PHOTO DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Justin Fields
That doesn’t matter to Tomlin, who has no intention of giving up the physical game to win like he did back then.
It’s no wonder he sees a resemblance in Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers head coach, in his first year in Los Angeles, is in the early stages of what could be a rapid turnaround, much like the one he orchestrated in San Francisco more than a decade ago.
The Chargers dominated the Raiders and Panthers physically, relying more on running back JK Dobbins and the defense than the arms and legs of quarterback Justin Herbert.
While Harbaugh is encouraged by his team’s progress, he knows the Steelers and their star-studded defense will be a bigger challenge.
“We’re going to find out what our team is like this week,” Harbaugh said. “So far, it’s been great. I’m excited about a lot of things. The cohesion is really coming together.”
Fields in full swing
Fields will make his third straight start while Wilson recovers from a calf injury aggravated just days before the season opener.
The 25-year-old quarterback has shown on a few occasions what he is capable of.
He threw a 51-yard pass to Pickens as he moved to his right against the Broncos last week, but the play was called off due to a penalty.
More importantly for the Steelers, Fields avoided the mistakes that occurred frequently during his three uneven seasons with the Chicago Bears.
The player who committed 41 turnovers in 40 games with the Bears has not yet committed any with the Steelers.
Asked this week what he thought of Fields’ decision-making, Tomlin was both complimentary and demanding.
“He did really well, but I expect that to be the case.”