Tomlin is correct about the play before. Pittsburgh initially threw an incomplete pass on a third-and-four from the 29. The Steelers were penalized for holding on the play. Shane Steichen made a somewhat risky decision to accept the penalty, moving the Steelers back but also giving them another chance at third down. Pittsburgh couldn’t do anything with that chance, as Mitchell pass “intended” for George Pickens sailed well out of bounds.
If the Steelers took a more conservative approach on that play with a run or short pass, they could have potentially set Boswell up with a more makeable (though still likely long) field goal. It’s tough to say if Trubisky was just throwing the ball away on his pass to Pickens or if it was an honest shot that just missed by several yards. Regardless of that, it’s hard to make much sense out of this explanation.
Yes, the game had taken a sharp turn in Indianapolis’ favor since early in the second quarter, when the Steelers went up 13-0. But that actually makes the decision to punt instead of try a field goal even more confusing To that point, Pittsburgh gained a net total of 36 yards (including penalties) on the possession. On the five possessions before that, the Steelers gained a net total of 54 yards, again, including penalties. So, things were not going well offensively. That was the best Pittsburgh had looked offensively since the first quarter (the Steelers scored a touchdown in the second quarter on a two-yard drive after a blocked punt).
Down 11 points with a struggling offense, why not try a field goal to get the game to one score? It’s not as though Boswell doesn’t have the leg. In the Steelers’ previous game, he nailed a 56-yard kick. That was at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium — one of the toughest venues in the league for long field goals. There was really no confidence that he could make a kick from one yard further, this time in a dome?
Tomlin’s decision was made worse by punter Pressley Harvin III not hitting a good punt. But for the sake of argument, let’s imagine that he hit a great punt to pin the Colts inside the five. Then, on the ensuing possession, the Steelers forced a three-and-out or better yet, a turnover. At that point, Pittsburgh still would have needed another scoring drive, all while keeping Indianapolis off the board. His team could have made Tomlin’s decision easier with better execution. Still, this decisio
