The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans were taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride as the NFL playoff madness unfolded on Sunday, and even head coach Mike Tomlin missed the dramatic finish.
The Steelers snuck into the postseason after the Indianapolis Colts lost and Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers. Had the Raiders and Chargers tied, they both would have made the playoffs and the Steelers would have been out. That outcome nearly played out when the two teams went to overtime, but Tomlin apparently had no idea.
Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that he “dozed off” and missed the end of the Chargers-Raiders game. The Raiders had what appeared to be a comfortable 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, and Tomlin thought the game was over.
Tomlin on Raiders-Chargers: "I missed the end of it. I dozed off. i knew i had a workday, or I assumed I had a workday, waiting on me."
Says the 15-point raiders lead made him comfortable. "I'm probably better off not watching it.'
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 11, 2022
You can imagine how surprised Tomlin must have been when he woke up and saw that the Raiders won 35-32 in overtime.
Tomlin and the Steelers may have gotten a huge assist from Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. The Raiders seemed content to play to a tie with less than a minute remaining in overtime, but Staley for some reason called timeout. That gave Las Vegas an opportunity to go for the win. Staley has been roasted for the decision, but Tomlin must be thrilled he made it.
Photo: Nov 21, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts before the Steelers play against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
