By: Jessica Costello
SteelerNation.com
Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach, Mike Tomlin hashed out the halftime adjustments the team made to come up on top against the Texans yesterday.
"They had a really good plan. It took us a while to get adjusted to it," said Tomlin. "They made plays early on in all three phases. We were trying to find our rhythm. I thought the guys did a nice job, players and coaches, communicating and making necessary adjustments at the half and finding our rhythm in the second half. Getting necessary stops and possessing the ball. It was a lot to be proud of in terms of the effort.
The Steelers' defense allowed the Texans to put up 209 yards and 11 first downs but the second half was a whole new ball game for the defense. The defense shut down the Texans only allowing 51 yards and two first downs.
"The defense didn't blink. We gave up some possessions early. Sometimes that can put a bad taste in your mouth. We didn't allow it to spoil the day. They just played one snap at a time. We were able to get some significant stops in the second half. I thought the turnover by Mike Hilton was enormous," Tomlin said.
Mike Hilton's interception in the fourth quarter was a huge advantage for the Steelers while they were trailing, 21-20.
"We made some adjustments," said Tomlin. "More than anything I like the group's ability to adjust and communicate in the midst of it. There wasn't a lot of blink in the group. They absorbed the necessary adjustments. Sometimes that is necessary. We had to do some adjusting, kudos to the coaches and those guys for communicating and adjusting and not blinking in the midst of some of those things that transpire when those things happen."
Tomlin also commented on the offense including rookie Anthony McFarland who had six carries for 42 yards.
"Good to get Anthony McFarland involved," said Tomlin. "I thought our utilization of all of the backs was a good element of play for us. He was ready last week. That is why we had the hat on him. Sometimes game circumstances don't allow certain roles to develop. We like the overall trajectory of his game. He has been working hard, practicing hard and having professional detail in his work. We had trust in his abilities. It was good to get him in the mix. He brings a different skill set than the others and they complement each other well."
"(James) is our feature runner. It doesn't mean we won't play others. It does mean as we distribute carries and particularly as we find our rhythm in the game that will include him unless somebody else has an unusual hot hand. And we don't care who gets the credit or who makes the plays, that's just the approach that we take."
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