What an impressive performance by the Pittsburgh Steelers during Sunday’s 38-13 win over the previously undefeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The defense continued to be opportunistic, while the offense finally came alive thanks to a stellar outing by veteran quarterback Charlie Batch. Head coach Mike Tomlin was pleased, but with the Baltimore Ravens looming on the schedule, he knows there’s little time for his team to pat itself on the back. Here are some quotes from Tomlin’s post-game press conference:
(On the game)
“That’s a good road victory for us. We don’t take these for granted. We came into a hostile environment versus an undefeated team and we did the job. Hats off to a lot of people, but you really got to tip a hat to Charlie Batch. What he was able to do for us today. He played like a veteran. This guy hasn’t had a lot of opportunity, not only in recent years, but recent days, weeks, or months. He didn’t blink. He has been a consummate professional and team player. Good things usually happen to those kind of people. That’s a lesson a lot of young people in our locker room could learn from here today. Hopefully they will. A lot of congratulations to go around, just a total team effort and one I’m excited for the men in that locker room.”
(Play of the offensive line not being 100% going into the game today)
“We are kind of getting used to that. Today, Ramon Foster played and he is the last active guy on our offensive line to play this year. They have all played and they have all played extensively. It’s kind of a benefit when you look at it. We are learning a lesson that maybe some other teams are going to learn later in the year and we are finding ways to win while we do it. So when you win, it’s a positive thing. I like the contribution of all the people participated. Doug Legursky, Ramon Foster played some, Jonathan Scott rotated at the tackle. It was a nasty muggy day out there, so we had to play some folks. They upheld the standard and so it was a good performance.”
(On going back and starting Charlie Batch against Atlanta or Tennessee)
“Man, I don’t get do overs. I don’t live in that world. I’ll let you guys talk about that. Right now we are 3-0 and we are getting ready for Baltimore.”