Mike Tomlin Excited About Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ground Game

Mike Tomlin has a bevy of running backs and he says the division of labor is going to have to sort itself out as the season goes along.

When last we saw Mike Tomlin, he was explaining how he didn’t blame anyone but himself when it came to his Pittsburgh Steelers missing the playoffs.

His team missed the postseason thanks in large part to a blown call in another game, but he wasn’t going to blame the referees for his team’s failures.

Now he believes a strong backfield, complete with a number of players who are all going to compete for a starting job, could carry his team to the Super Bowl if things shake out right.

Mike Tomlin appeared on the NFL network recently to voice his excitement over some new acquisitions being added to returning players this season.

The Steelers hired Mike Munchak to coach the offensive line, and brought in former New England Patriot LeGarrette Blount while drafting Dri Archer to back up sophomore starter Le’Veon Bell.

“I’m excited about letting these guys sort themselves out from a division of labour standpoint,” Mike Tomlin said. “I know that they are all committed to being significant components to what we do.”

Mike Tomlin did add that he sees Archer as more of a speed guy who could actually provide a change of pace for his other two backs. It should be pointed out that Blount has plenty of speed himself.

Bell, a former Michigan State star, is definitely more of a bruiser who gets his yards between the tackles. Because the backs are all so different and have their own strengths and weaknesses, it makes sense that situations where they can perform best will likely present themselves as games unfold.

Considering that the Pittsburgh Steelers finished just 27th and 26th in rushing the last two years, some might wonder if the excitement the team’s head coach is feeling is premature.

Despite leaning heavily on the passing game the last few years, the Steelers are often thought of as a team that runs more than they go to the air. With the work to improve that area of the team, it makes sense Mike Tomlin is banking on it paying off.

Despite the talk from Mike Tomlin of spreading the ball around, it seems likely that Bell will still get the workman’s share of the load with Blount backing him up and Archer splitting time between running back and receiver.

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