With a bye week coming up and a tough game against the Ravens on the docket for Sunday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin suggests he might give his players additional time off if they win:
“I haven’t decided on it, and probably the No. 1 determinant for our bye week activities is how we perform on Sunday,’’ Tomlin said.
Tomlin’s motivational ploy isn’t original. Coaches always look for different ways to get more out of their players. According to veteran defensive end Aaron Smith, Tomlin’s challenge is unnecessary.
“If you need that to get motivated, you’re in the wrong business,‘’ Smith said Friday. "You should be motivated well beyond that point. Whatever he does with the bye week is what he does.’’
Hopefully Smith is right on this one. Ben Roethlisberger will be returning after the bye, and so I’d think the Steelers might be able to use some extra practice with a different quarterback leading the offense.