The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills 26-7 on Sunday, and a restless Steelers crowd was letting the home team hear it.
Fans booed and even called for head coach Mike Tomlin’s job, but the 53-year-old veteran head coach had a surprising answer when asked about his perspective on the crowd’s frustrations and the calls for his firing.
“In general, I agree with them, from this perspective: Football is our game, we’re in a sport-entertainment business,” Tomlin said Tuesday during a press conference. “And so, if you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. And so when you’re not winning, it’s not entertaining.”
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“If you’ve been in this business, you understand that, and so I respect it. I share frustrations, I understand what makes this thing go, and winning is what makes this thing go.”
The Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are both atop the AFC North at 6-6, but neither has looked like a first-place team. The Steelers have lost five of their last seven games as their once-seemingly big lead in the division has vanished.
The Steelers had a chance to run away with the division after a 4-1 start. The Ravens were 1-5 and the Cincinnati Bengals were struggling to find their footing after losing Joe Burrow, but now the Steelers’ path to the playoffs looks murkier than ever.
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They did take a 7-3 lead into halftime over the Bills, but things quickly unraveled in the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa crushed an unsuspecting Aaron Rodgers to force a fumble, which was recovered for a touchdown.
The Bills never looked back, and the Steelers’ offense never got anything going.
With the Steelers’ recent struggles, the fans’ intensity in their jeers has only grown, and Tomlin agreed with the fans.
Tomlin is the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach, as he has held the position since 2007. In 304 games, Tomlin has a 189-113-2 record.
The Steelers will look to give their fans something to cheer about when they take on the Ravens in a pivotal matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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