Pat Fryermuth’s look at the reporter after Mike Tomlin’s question says it all
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance to win the AFC North in Week 17 with a win over the Cleveland Browns. But Pittsburgh got it wrong, leading to a do-or-die showdown with the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season finale. The teams traded blows late in the game. But the Steelers won when Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time ran out.
The wild 26-24 win gave Pittsburgh its first AFC North title in five seasons. I Pat Freiermuth discussed how it was an important moment to him. “To be able to get this for Coach T … it was great,” he said, per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. When asked what he meant, Freiermuth looked at the reporter, cocked his head and said, “You know what I meant.
Despite establishing himself as one of the best coaches in the league during his 19-year tenure with the Steelers, some believed a loss in Week 18 would means the end of the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh. But the team fought back after a quiet first half. And the Steelers are going to the playoffs.
Pat Freiermuth praises Mike Tomlin after the Steelers won the division
“Coach T is the best coach I’ve ever played for,” Freiermuth added, according to DeFabo. “He’s one of them. We wouldn’t be here without him. He still believes, he still has confidence in us. And I’m very grateful to be here with him.”
While some fans have grown frustrated with the Steelers’ lack of postseason success, Tomlin’s job was probably safe regardless of the weekly outcome. The team reached the playoffs for the third year in a row and went 10-7 for the third consecutive year. Tomlin now has 19 straight seasons without a losing record.
However, the The Steelers offense struggled without DK Metcalf. The veteran was suspended for the final two games of the year after an altercation with fans in Detroit. His absence affected Pittsburgh’s Week 17 loss to Cleveland as the team could only score six points.
On Sunday, the Steelers found a way to succeed without him. After being held to three points at halftime, Pittsburgh erupted for three touchdowns and a field goal in the second half.
With the win, the Steelers clinched the fourth seed in the AFC. Pittsburgh will host the 12-5 Houston Texans on Monday night.
2026-01-06 08:48:00
