Tomlin on physical football: "It's a mentality"

Quote :

Teresa Varley
Steelers.com

Physical. It’s a word that goes hand-in-hand with football, and when you are talking Steelers’ football, it’s a word that is commonly used to describe the team’s style of play.

Coach Mike Tomlin embraces the description, he welcomes the fact that his team is known for that style, and he shared his thoughts on what makes the team physical at the AFC coaches’ breakfast at the NFL owners meeting on Tuesday.

“One that’s combative. I think that is a word I look for in regards to being physical,” said Tomlin. “Putting together a team that is combative and one that doesn’t run away from combat situations or circumstances, I believe that year-in and year-out we are capable of producing that kind of team.”

Being physical in Tomlin’s mind isn’t always about who is tougher or stronger, it’s about much more than that.

“I just think it’s a mentality more than anything else,” said Tomlin. “We understand that there is going to be confrontation in the game of professional football, and we are not running away from it.”

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Tomlin-on-physical-football-Its-a-mentality/88fe877b-aa69-417c-b0af-3f3130cc8d43

I'm not so sure it's a given that the Steelers can still lay claim to being one of the top physical teams. In the past two years, they've lost their most physical offensive player in Ward and their most physical defensive player in Harrison. Other than Ryan Clark and Ben, there aren't too many guys who have that "Steelers mentality." There are a few younger guys such as Brown and DeCastro who show promise, but it's too early to say that they have it. This much I know ... I don't care about the record, stats, injuries, or anything else ... the Steelers played soft last season. What I saw on the field wasn't the kind of physical football that has defined the Steelers. They need to get back to that style, and I sure hope it happens soon.

Yeah to much finesse. I remember back when the Steelers wasn't a very good team(like last year) but they still put fear in other teams that didn't want to get punched in the mouth or go through a brawl with the them. They no longer do that.