Pittsburgh Steelers

Tomlin not taking Jags lightly, not worried about lack of rushing attack

PITTSBURGH — The head coach of the only unbeaten team in the NFL says he is not taking the 1-8 Jacksonville Jaguars lightly.

Mike Tomlin said while the Steelers are coming off a 36-10 thumping of the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jaguars are capable of winning. He said the team has been in some close games and you can’t look at Sunday’s game as against an inferior opponent.

“This is the NFL. More than anything, the guys know my attitude regarding that. We are not a Big Ten team playing a MAC opponent this week. Every time we step into a stadium, we are playing professionals, players and coaches, and we have a ridiculous level of respect for that,” Tomlin said.

During his Tuesday news conference, Tomlin also touched on the lack of the Steelers' running game. He said that aspect of the offense has been “below the line” and they will be working on it this week.

“The only thing that’s perfect about our team is our record,” Tomlin said.

He said the team remains in intensive COVID-19 protocols after several members of the team tested positive last week. The team will continue meeting virtually.

Tomlin also said he’s optimistic in the return of Mike Hilton and Chris Wormley this week.