Before addressing anything else at his weekly press conference, Mike Tomlin began by speaking about the penalties in the Monday night victory over Tampa Bay. Playing hard was a large factor in the number of flags according to Tomlin, but he admitted the team must play cleaner.
“I do acknowledge we have to play better, and smarter.”
The hidden yardage element was another issue Coach Tomlin mentioned when it came to penalties. A nullified punt downed at the 1 yard line when the Steelers were called for an illegal shift was his specific example. After those 5 yards, along with an additional 15, were assessed to Darrius Heyward-Bey for arguing with the official over the initial call, the following the play ended up as a touchback giving the Bucs the ball at the 20 yard line.