Mike Tomlin found himself in a complex position again after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns, 13-6, on Sunday. The Steelers arrived at Huntington Bank Field needing just one win to secure the AFC North title and begin preparing for the 2025 NFL playoffs.

Instead, the Browns upset them behind a solid performance from rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who finished 17 of 23 for 186 yards and one touchdown. The Steelers’ performance did not please many observers. However, Tomlin viewed it differently from much of the outside world.

Team reporter Andrew Fillipponi shared Mike Tomlin’s words after the game. He added a strong reaction to the coach saying the team didn’t play poorly, despite scoring just six points in 60 minutes.

“Did he take a 3 hour nap during the game?” Fillipponi tweeted.

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The Cleveland Browns have a strong defense, but considering that the Steelers scored 27 points against the Ravens, 28 against the Miami Dolphins and 29 against the Detroit Lions, no one would have imagined they would have scored just six points against a weakened Browns squad.

They are in a complex position ahead of Week 18. The Ravens have the momentum following an impressive 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers, while the Steelers raised eyebrows with their Sunday’s performance.

Mike Tomlin rejects accusation about Myles Garrett’s sack record

Mike Tomlin responded to fans, and even Myles Garrett, after they claimed the Steelers worked to stop the defensive end from getting a sack that would have broken the single-season record.

“To an extent, they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron [Rodgers] than getting the win. That’s what came back to bite them,” Garrett said, via SleeperNFL on X.

Tomlin denied that notion, noting that they planned for Garrett as they normally do.

“We didn’t do anything against Myles that we don’t normally do against Myles. The sack record is irrelevant,” Tomlin said. “We gotta minimize him if we want to injure their victory. We did the same thing last time we played them.

“Don’t think he had any sacks in that game, either. So we didn’t take a different approach because of the gravity of the record; it’s just standard business when you’re playing these guys and him.”

The Steelers entered Week 17 with high expectations. They will enter Week 18 with a lot of pressure after another disappointing performance.