Mike Tomlin hears the noise. He always has. A week before the Steelers and their long-tenured coach grabbed a season-saving win in Baltimore, Pittsburgh stumbled through an ugly home loss to the Bills. The 26-7 defeat lit up Acrisure Stadium with chants of "Fire Tomlin" and a round of boos during the team's classic Renegade moment. It felt different.
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During his Tuesday press conference, Tomlin was asked if he thought he was on the hot seat.
"I've been in the hot seat for 19 years," Tomlin told reporters. "I always feel like I got something to prove. Not necessarily to anyone in particular, but that's the spirit in which I go about what I do professionally."
The outside temperature kept rising last week. Former stars Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison both suggested it might be time for a change. Fans echoed the sentiment as the Steelers slipped out of sync on both sides of the ball.
Now Pittsburgh heads home again for Week 15 and a Monday night matchup against the Dolphins. It shapes up as a swing game for both teams. The Steelers are 7-6. Miami is a surprising 6-7. Pittsburgh is favored by only three.
Tomlin expects the atmosphere to match the moment.
"I expect them to show up, man," he said. "It's Monday Night Football in Acrisure. It's gonna be a big game."
It will be that. And if the Steelers stumble again in front of a national audience, the boos could get loud all over again.
