It’s more the fake punts when there doesn’t really seem to be any rhyme or reason for one. And Tomlin’s two-point logic remains confoundingly weird. He’s right to think the Steelers have a great offense, and blessed with Le’veon Bell and a dominant offensive line, Pittsburgh should be going for two more often than just about any other team in the league.
And over the past two years, they have. During the first three quarters of games — before most teams are willing to consider going for two — the Steelers have gone for two 15 times, converting on 10 of those tries. No other team has attempted more than five.
The weird part is that the Steelers don’t really push the envelope. They go for two once in the first half, succeed, and then stop. Pittsburgh has gone for two more than once before the fourth quarter in a game on only two occasions; it tried (and succeeded) twice against the 49ers last season, and then failed on consecutive attempts against the Cowboys earlier this season.
Are the Steelers concerned that their subsequent attempts won’t be as likely to succeed? Do they only go for it in the hopes of gaining an advantage and not want to press their luck? It’s hard to find the logic in why the Steelers would think they should go for two once but never again.
The weird part is that the Steelers don’t really push the envelope. They go for two once in the first half, succeed, and then stop. Pittsburgh has gone for two more than once before the fourth quarter in a game on only two occasions; it tried (and succeeded) twice against the 49ers last season, and then failed on consecutive attempts against the Cowboys earlier this season.
Even if the process is opaque and inconsistent, on the whole, Tomlin is more aggressive than a typical coach in a way that plays to his team’s strengths. He should stay that course on Sunday.