Steelers' Mike Tomlin offers vague responses to questions about offensive philosophy

The Pittsburgh Steelers got completely embarrassed in their own stadium on Sunday evening as the team fell to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 26-7. The group led the game at halftime by a score of 7-3, but everything fell apart in the second half as the group turned the ball over and couldn't get anything going on the offensive side of the ball. The defense played well to start the game, but the group eventually got beaten up by Buffalo as the Bills were able to set rushing records for a visiting team in Pittsburgh. The performance was completely embarrassing.

Head coach Mike Tomlin is having an extremely difficult season in 2025, and that continued against Buffalo. His team seemed to quit halfway through the game, and it was another pathetic performance. 

The offense was stuck throughout most of the matchup, and it was the second time this season that Pittsburgh put up 10 points or fewer. During the coach's postgame press conference, he was asked about Pittsburgh's passing attack; in particular, the way the group seems to avoid the middle of the field. The coach dodged every question he received on the matter.

"It's just not enough production," Tomlin said. "We're not going to make excuses for it."

Tomlin was asked the reasoning for avoiding the middle of the field, and the coach completely sidestepped the question. This has been a common theme for Pittsburgh over the last several years, and it is a theme that is ingrained in the team's offensive philosophy. This comes from Tomlin. Arthur Smith might be the offensive coordinator, but Tomlin still has a say in offensive game planning and the type of attack the group is going to take in games.

Pittsburgh had some quarterback turmoil throughout the game as Aaron Rodgers came into the game fighting through multiple fractures in his left wrist, and he also exited the game with a nose injury for a series. The quarterback never got into a groove as he threw for just 117 yards on the day, while every pass seemed to be short and close to the line of scrimmage. Tomlin was asked about the lack of downfield passing, which is another question he avoided.

"All of those questions are reasonable given what we put out there," Tomlin said. "We got a lot of work in front of us."

The coach continuously spoke without really saying anything, and he doesn't seem to have any answers for what is going wrong on the offensive side of the football. It doesn't entirely fall on the coaching staff as the quarterback is playing hurt and wide receivers have struggled to get open all season long, but this is a problem that needs to be fixed if the franchise has any chance of getting the season back on the right track.

Steelers need To shift focus in the passing game

Pittsburgh has been criticized for the organization's offensive approach throughout the 2025 season, yet no noticeable changes have been made. Tight end Pat Freiermuth needs to get more involved, and that is on him and the coaching staff. Rodgers doesn't seem to have much trust in any of the players around him. Freiermuth has made a career out of being effective over the middle of the field, and that has not been a large enough part of the offense in 2025. 

Offseason addition Jonnu Smith has also not had much production, and he could be of use over the middle. The offense is stuck in a rut, and the group continues to try to do the same things, which is part of what has the fan base so frustrated.