When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field in Week 6, they will have not played a game for 14 days. However, Mike Tomlin’s team will then face two AFC North division rivals — the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals — in the span of five days.
First, the Steelers will host the Browns on October 12. Tomlin’s club will then visit the Bengals for Thursday Night Football on October 16.
Playing on Thursday after Sunday is always a challenge. It could be particularly difficult for the Steelers next week with both games inside their division.
But as the saying goes, Tomlin is taking things one game at a time.
I’m just locked in on this week,” Tomlin told the media when asked about preparing for the Browns and Bengals at nearly the same time.
The Browns will visit the Steelers at 1 pm ET Sunday. The Steelers have won four straight games against the Browns in Pittsburgh.
However, Cleveland has split the series each of the past three years.
Mike Tomlin Stresses Steelers Focused on Browns
Interestingly, to start his weekly press conference Tuesday, Tomlin mistakenly referred to Cincinnati when he meant to say Cleveland. The head coach quickly corrected himself.
It was likely an honest mistake. But it’s noteworthy given Tomlin’s emphasis on not looking ahead.
There’s also been a general narrative for a long time in Pittsburgh that Tomlin and the Steelers play down to competition. That discussion and debates about whether the Steelers were looking past the Browns are going to arise if Tomlin’s club plays poorly in Week 6.
But other than his brief snafu, Tomlin didn’t want to even mention the Bengals on Tuesday. Instead, he had a lot of positive things to say about the Browns, including rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel and their young playmakers on offense.
While the Browns have been more competitive in the rivalry with the Steelers recently, history will still be on Pittsburgh’s side Sunday. The Steelers haven’t lost a home regular season game versus the Browns since 2003. Cleveland’s only win at Pittsburgh since then was in the postseason.
The Steelers have defeated the Browns four times at home since that January 2021 playoff loss.
Tomlin Also Not Focused on AFC North Standings
After their Week 5 loss, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor suggested the AFC North standings will give the team an opportunity to still reach their goals. Tomlin had nearly the opposite answer when he received a question about the standings Tuesday.
In addition to the Bengals, Tomlin is clearly not focused on where the Steelers stand from a win-loss perspective compared to other teams.
“I don’t care what happened with other people, particularly last weekend,”
“I’m not a big picture guy.”
The Browns, Bengals and Baltimore Ravens all lost in Week 5. That gives the Steelers at least a two-game lead in the loss column in the AFC North standings.
That could quickly evaporate, though, if the Steelers lose either of the next two games.
While Tomlin didn’t mention Cincinnati again, he did generally address playing football in the AFC North during Tuesday’s press conference.
“I just love being in big-time competition. I’m a competition junkie. I just think the divisional component of how our schedules are aligned these days in today’s game,” Tomlin said
“Kevin [Stefanski] has been in Cleveland for a number of years. I’ve known Jim Schwartz for a long time. I think that intimacy, that knowledge, creates competition. I think the geographic proximity creates a cool environment.
“There’s a lot to be excited about relative to this game, this week and AFC North football.”
