Pittsburgh Steelers hold team meeting to fix big…
After the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, they had dropped three consecutive games, and tensions began to rise within the defense, with players openly and privately arguing. In response, head coach Mike Tomlin called a meeting on Thursday following the Christmas Day defeat to address the team’s issues.
The discussion covered everything from defensive communication breakdowns to the struggles of the offense as a ball-control unit. The focus was on finding solutions to these problems and, more importantly, determining whether the Steelers could re-align as a team.
“Last Thursday, we came in after the Christmas Day game and analyzed not just our performance against Kansas City, but also looked at trends from recent games, and specifically some of the issues we’ve been talking about in meetings—things that have been key to our victories,” Tomlin explained.
Tomlin believes the team is in the right mental space. Players were able to process the feedback and recognize the negative trends. His speech also provided a dose of reality, addressing the core issues. After the game, key defensive players like Patrick Queen, DeShon Elliott, Alex Highsmith, and Cam Heyward spoke out about the defensive struggles.
Following the meeting, the Steelers felt revitalized and back on track, but their upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals will be the true test of whether they have really turned a corner.
“It hit the team the right way,” said Queen. “We all care deeply about this game and the outcomes. When he breaks it down and is transparent with us, it makes us want to go out there and do our job. The meeting really opened things up.”
Tomlin emphasized that the team’s disagreements stem from a place of care and concern, a sentiment echoed by several players. Queen believed that trust and faith in each other were key issues that needed to be rebuilt.
If the Steelers can restore that trust, they may find their form just in time for a playoff push.
