Dec 11, 2020 5 min read

You got the feeling after the Steelers’ 23-17 loss to Washington last Monday that there was a weight lifted off the shoulders of Mike Tomlin.

Unlike the previous week, when he ranted about the poor play of his team following a 19-14 win over the Ravens, Tomlin seemed much more reserved after the Steelers’ first loss of the season.

Perhaps it’s because there is pressure that grows each week when a team is unbeaten. In each of the past five or so weeks, Tomlin and his players had been asked about it over and again.

Or perhaps it’s because, as Tomlin liked to say, the only thing that had been perfect about the Steelers during their unbeaten start was their record.

There have still been plenty of things the Steelers needed to improve, not the least of which are their dropped passes and lack of a running game.

But it’s difficult to get the full attention of a team when it’s on an 11-game winning streak. Those just don’t come around too often in the NFL.

Now, you can bet Tomlin has the complete attention of his team.

n It’s awfully magnanimous of LSU to ban itself from a bowl game this season for its past indiscretions in taking on-campus sexual assault reports involving its athletes seriously.

I’m sure the bowl reps would have beating down the doors with the Tigers at 3-5.

n We’re also now seeing teams cancel games because of the threat of COVID-19 cases. It’s happening in some situations where said team was surely going to get its clock cleaned in what is clearly an effort to avoid a beatdown.

Yes, I’m pointing the finger at you, Michigan.

n Word is Jim Harbaugh is sending out feelers to NFL teams to gauge interest in his services as a head coach. Given the bang-up job Harbaugh has done with the Wolverines, taking them from 10-3 in his first season in 2015 to 2-4 this year, and his winning personality, it’s hard to believe NFL teams won’t be banging down his door.

It’s nothing new. Harbaugh went 13-3 in his first season with the 49ers in 2011 but his victory total went down each season until San Francisco was 8-8 in his final season in 2014.

He wears out his welcome quickly.

• Since parting ways with Marvin Lewis before the 2019 season, the Bengals are a robust 4-23-1 under Zac Taylor.

In their final two seasons under Lewis, the Bengals were 13-19, which apparently wasn’t good enough. Overall, the Bengals were 131-122-3 under Lewis, who had become the team’s head coach in 2003.

In the five seasons before hiring Lewis, the Bengals had won 19 games.

Is it any wonder why Lewis’ name is now being mentioned for some of the head coaching jobs that will be available at the end of this season?

At 62, the McDonald native and Fort Cherry High School graduate wouldn’t be a long-term solution for any team. But he most certainly knows how to build a franchise back to respectability.

When he took over the Bengals, they were the laughingstock of the league. They had the worst facilities, scouting staff and, well, everything in the NFL.

Some of that hasn’t changed, which is why Lewis became increasingly frustrated over the years.

But for franchises such as the Jets, Jaguars or Chargers, Lewis would be a great hire to right the ship. And apparently, after a couple of years off to recharge his batteries, Lewis is ready to jump back into the coaching ring.

Given the choice between Lewis and Harbaugh, the pick should be an easy one.

This week’s picks

Bills (minus 1½) over Steelers: The Steelers will play better than they have the past two weeks in this one given that they have had their normal work week. But the Bills are a good opponent in their place. And the Steelers are banged up right now. This doesn’t mean the Steelers can’t or won’t win a rematch in January, but this is a tough spot for them. Take the Bills, 27-24

Ravens (minus-2) over Browns: The Ravens are getting all of their guys back off the COVID-19 list. The Browns won last week at Tennessee, but the Titans’ defense is awful. This game could be over in two hours given that both teams want to run the ball 40 times. Take the team with the better defense, and that’s clearly the Ravens, who smacked the Browns around 38-6 in Week 1. Take the Ravens, 34-23

Cowboys (minus 3 ½) over Bengals: The Bengals can’t run. They can’t throw. And they can’t play defense. Other than that, they’re pretty good. The Cowboys can do the first two things, but they don’t play any defense, either. Take the Cowboys, 27-13

Colts (minus 3) over Raiders: The Raiders have some good wins at home – over the Saints and Chiefs – but they also have some bad losses or near bad losses. If not for Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams being Gregg Williams, they would have had one against the Jets last week. The Colts’ defense will shut down the Raiders. Take the Colts, 26-17

Saints (minus 6 ½) over Eagles: Jalen Hurts will get the start under center for the Eagles. His counterpart for the Saints will be Taysom Hill. Anyone have that marquee matchup taking place in Week 14 when this season began? Didn’t think so. But New Orleans’ defense has been playing well. It will eat the kid alive. Take the Saints, 27-9

Last Week: 2-3 ATS Overall: 32-29-4

Dale Lolley covers the Steelers for DKPittsburghSports.com and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.