Mike Tomlin wasn't in the mood Monday. The Steelers head coach met with reporters ahead of Thursday night's matchup against the Bengals and made it clear the short week wasn't doing much for his patience.
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The session lasted about 20 minutes before Tomlin ended it with a parting shot that got everyone's attention. "Boy, you guys were annoying me today," he said as he walked off the podium.
The final question that seemed to push him there was about — who else — Joe Flacco. A reporter asked how difficult it is for a quarterback to be traded and then start two games in eight days.
Tomlin didn't hesitate. "Doesn't appear to be hard for Joe Flacco," he said.
That came after Tomlin already raised eyebrows by taking a swipe at the Browns earlier in the same press conference.
"To be honest, it was shocking to me," Tomlin said. "(Browns GM) Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn't make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening starter to a divisional opponent that's hurting in that area. But that's just my personal feeling."
So maybe he just woke up on the wrong side of the rivalry.
Still, he has plenty of reason to be content. The Steelers are 4-1 after beating Cleveland on Sunday and now lead the AFC North heading into Thursday's primetime test against Cincinnati.
If there's one thing everyone in Pittsburgh knows by now, it's that Tomlin doesn't fake his mood — win or lose. Monday just happened to be one of those days when the reporters drew the short straw.
