It’s no secret that Mike Tomlin loves his veterans. The long-time Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers has always held a special place in his heart for the players with experience and “been there, done that” attitude. After all, it was the veterans who brought Tomlin his only Super Bowl title. That notion may be a challenge for Tomlin this week when it comes to Darius Slay and James Pierre.
When the Steelers head to Chicago this weekend one of those two will start at cornerback across from Joey Porter, Jr. If history is any guide then Tomlin will likely go with Slay despite the fact that Pierre has played well in his stead. That’s just how Tomlin does things; whether he ends up being right or wrong doesn’t matter.
What cannot be overlooked is that Pierre has played well. First, he entered the LA Chargers game in relief of the concussed Slay and played solid football. Secondly, he got the start Sunday versus the Bengals and was part of a secondary that held Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to six receptions, 93 yards and the one score from Higgins. That’s a far different outcome than what we saw in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago.
Until now, I’ve always viewed Pierre as one of those really good sixth men in basketball. He does some really good things coming off the bench but when he has to start he appears to struggle. That trend broke Sunday when he turned in a really solid game.
The other thing I appreciate about Pierre is his willingness to tackle and his willingness to come up and take on blockers and ball carriers in run support. I’m not suggesting Slay doesn’t do these things but it sure looked to me as though Pierre has been doing them better.
As I stated earlier, I expect Tomlin to go back to Slay. At this point in his career however Pierre has earned the opportunity to be given a shot even if Slay is healthy. The real issue is whether Tomlin feels the same way.
UPDATE: Mike Tomlin, in his daily press conference today, said that Slay will start.
