Steelers' James Pierre Receives High Praise From Mike Tomlin Following Outstanding Performance

The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a much-needed bounce back win on Sunday, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals by a final score of 34-12. While it wasn't always pretty, the Steelers battled through injuries and adversity to get a key victory over an AFC North opponent. Many players stepped up in the win on both sides of the ball, but one player in particular received the praise of Head Coach Mike Tomlin after the game, and that was defensive back James Pierre.

During his postgame press conference, Tomlin had nothing but nice things to say about the six-year man from Florida Atlantic. 

"He's grown throughout the years. He's gotten better with each and every year he's been here with his roles and his ability to respond to opportunity and so forth," Tomlin said. "There is a veteran high level of consistency that we're seeing right now, that's why I talked about him the way I talked about him on Tuesday."

For a guy who has spent most of his career flying under the radar, Sunday felt like a breakout game for Pierre. It wasn’t just that he played well, it was the timing of his breakout performance. The Steelers desperately needed someone in the secondary to step up after weeks of inconsistent coverage, communication breakdowns, and injuries. 

Pierre embraced the challenge fully, showing the kind of play that the coaching staff has been hoping to see. Going against a Bengals team with one of the most dangerous receiving duos in the league didn’t exactly set the stage for an easy afternoon, but Pierre rose to the occasion.

Just a month after allowing wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase to catch 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, the Steelers' secondary held Chase to just 28 yards on six receptions on Sunday. It was a group effort from the Pittsburgh defense to keep Chase and fellow wideout Tee Higgins in check, but Pierre led the charge. 

Not only did Pierre get credit for two passes defended, he was third on the team in tackles with six, and even picked up a fumble and ran it all the way back for his first career touchdown. If the Steelers had a most improved player award for 2025, it would without a doubt belong to Pierre. For the first few years of his career, Pierre was predominantly a depth piece and special teams player. 

However, in 2025, he has developed into a valuable cornerback for a defense that has struggled at that position through two and a half months of the regular season. Pierre was forced into the starting role after starter Darius Slay was ruled out after suffering a concussion in Week 10, and fans shouldn't be surprised if Pierre still finds his way on the field even when Slay returns from injury. 

Steelers' Secondary Will Look To Duplicate Performance In Week 12

After shutting down Chase and Higgins for the majority of Sunday's action, the Steelers will look to duplicate that performance as they will see yet another talented offense playing well next week. 

The Steelers will hit the road to face the Chicago Bears next Sunday. Chicago has won seven of their last eight games, and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears offense are starting to find their stride. The wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden III will be another tall task for the Pittsburgh defense. 

If the Steelers want to hold their lead in the AFC North and potentially make a playoff run, they will need a similar performance from Pierre and company week-in-week-out.

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