Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has said that fans who booed during the team's 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday were justified. Speaking on Tuesday, Tomlin acknowledged the frustration of supporters, stating: 'In general, I agree with them. Football is our game, we’re in a sport entertainment business. If you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. And so when you’re not winning, it’s not entertaining.'
The Steelers, who share top spot in the AFC North with a 6-6 record, conceded 249 rushing yards against the Bills and committed several costly penalties. Defensive captain Cam Heyward was involved in a confrontation with Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen. Tomlin stressed the need to address disciplinary issues: 'Penalties of the 15-yard variety, loss of composure and things of that nature hadn’t been us. That needs to be corrected immediately.'
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed disappointment with the offensive performance, adding to the concerns on both sides of the ball. Despite their recent struggles—the Steelers are 6-11 over their last 17 games—Tomlin remains confident: 'Our last performance wasn’t up to snuff, but I don’t know that it lessens our belief in self or our ability to deliver individually and collectively moving forward.'
The Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, both at 6-6, are level on points at the top of the division, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker due to a superior points differential and have a more favourable remaining schedule. The two teams meet twice before the season ends, starting this Sunday, with prediction models favouring Baltimore to win the division.
