Tomlin Predicts Steelers vs. Falcons Matchup

Mike Tomlin, who has spent years as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is now offering his insights as an NFL analyst for NBC Sports. During a broadcast following the season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, Tomlin shared his thoughts on an upcoming NFL game featuring his former team, the Steelers, as they prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.

Tomlin’s commentary carried a critical tone concerning Tua Tagovailoa, the recently named starting quarterback for the Falcons. “It’s less about Aaron [Rodgers] for me, and it’s more about the quarterback on the other side [Tua Tagovailoa]. His last visit to Pittsburgh didn’t go well. I was in the stadium that day. They lost. He got benched,” Tomlin remarked.

Tagovailoa’s journey in Miami concluded after a challenging end-of-season visit to Pittsburgh last year. During that game, Tagovailoa passed for 253 yards, secured two touchdowns, but also threw an interception as his team fell 28-15 to the Steelers. Following this defeat, he was benched for the season’s final three games, with Quinn Ewers replacing him.

Reflecting on his performance last year, Tagovailoa has accepted that his play was below expectations. Now with the Falcons, he views his new starting role as an opportunity to demonstrate improvement. Earlier this week, Tagovailoa expressed to YahooSports, “It’s not something that I take for granted. There’s a lot of things I think I could have done better. Turned the ball over, could have played better. My decision making … in terms of last year just wasn’t good.”

The upcoming match between the Falcons and Steelers is scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff on Sunday, promising to be a closely watched contest.