Ben Roethlisberger Reveals Exactly Where Steelers' Mike Tomlin Went Wrong Against The Packers

The Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff clearly didn’t do a good enough job on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers. Anytime the Steelers lose at home, especially in the manner they did, there’s going to be a lot of criticism directed at the coaches, and rightfully so. The Steelers were up 16-7 at halftime and got the ball coming out of the half, yet somehow blew the game and got dominated in the second half to lose 35-25. It was a complete collapse from a team that looked in control early, and the second-half performance raised serious questions about the team’s preparation and in-game adjustments.

During the game, the Steelers’ defensive focus was clearly on limiting Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs, and on paper, that strategy worked. Jacobs was held to just 2.5 yards per carry, but it came at a cost. Backup running back Emmanuel Wilson gashed the Steelers for 61 yards at 5.5 yards per carry, consistently taking advantage of overaggressive run fits and poor tackling on the edges. The Steelers’ defense looked undisciplined and confused at times, especially in the third quarter, when the Packers began exploiting mismatches and soft coverage. It was another example of the defense struggling to finish games, something that has plagued Pittsburgh all season.

Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shared his thoughts on where Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff went wrong in Week 8’s loss to Green Bay. Speaking on his Footbahlin podcast, the former signal-caller pointed to a lack of halftime adjustments and poor situational awareness as key factors in the defeat. 

"I look at that game and it felt from an outsider's view watching the game that the Steelers went into that game not trying to get beaten by the Packers' running game," Roethlisberger said while speaking on his podcast Footbahlin. "Josh Jacobs is not gonna beat us. It was very apparent that we were going to stop the run."

Roethlisberger emphasized that while the players failed to execute, the coaching staff deserves the bulk of the blame for allowing the Packers to dictate the pace and momentum of the second half. 

His comments echoed the frustration of Steelers fans everywhere, who felt that this team had the talent to win that game, but was simply outcoached when it mattered most.

"Well, the Packers in my opinion then made the adjustment to say ok, well we are gonna throw the ball then," Roethlisberger said. "Ok, well where was our adjustment? We either need to be rushing and getting home, or drop into coverage and say now you are not gonna beat us with this. You can't just like ride with a game plan and not make adjustments during the game. I am talking like they aren't. Maybe they are, but it's not working."

Roethlisberger admitted that if the Steelers coaching staff did make the proper adjustments, specifically speaking to Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin, he didn’t notice them, or they made the wrong ones. Either way, it was a brutal collapse in a game Pittsburgh controlled for at least half of the contest.

Steelers Have Chance To End 2-Game Losing Streak In Epic Fashion

The Steelers fell to 4-3 after their loss on Sunday night. They have a chance in Week 9 to get back in the win column in epic fashion. The first-place, red-hot Indianapolis Colts are coming to the Steel City. 

The Colts are 7-1 and sit atop the AFC standings. The Steelers have struggled against worse Colts teams in recent seasons, so this matchup is shaping up to be a battle. If Pittsburgh can pull off the upset, it would quickly restore hope among fans and reignite confidence in this team moving forward.

If you were in charge of the Steelers, what would be the first major change you would make today? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.

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