Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had an interesting quote when he was asked about Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense.
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00:00 You and I both believe, predict, the Niners will beat the Steelers.
00:06 But when I predicted that, I thought Bosa would be on the team.
00:11 So let's be blunt.
00:13 You and I both think a full, a healthy Brock Purdy and with Bosa, Steelers would be tough
00:21 at home, but the Niners would win.
00:23 If they don't have Bosa, do the Niners win?
00:29 I'm going back and forth on this one.
00:31 I could see the Niners winning without Bosa.
00:33 I could see it.
00:34 But after being in that locker room yesterday, it felt like a really shell-shocked locker
00:38 room.
00:40 It didn't feel like a very confident locker room.
00:42 It felt like I can't believe we're actually answering these questions today.
00:46 I'm kind of leaning like if Bosa's not there, I could see this is a team that starts slow
00:50 anyway.
00:51 This is a team that seems a little shocked.
00:54 I could see them losing this game and then having to call up Nick Bosa on Monday and
00:57 saying we're sorry.
00:58 We're so sorry.
01:00 What did you want?
01:01 Okay, here you go.
01:02 Please come back right now.
01:03 I agree with you.
01:05 And I want to say, again, I don't know that much about Pittsburgh.
01:08 I know they have an up and coming quarterback, up and coming.
01:12 People like him.
01:13 He's a lot like Purdy.
01:14 He's pretty good.
01:15 Yeah.
01:16 And I know they have a stout defense.
01:18 They use that word stout in the NFL.
01:20 Not as good as the Niners, but very good.
01:23 They got that Watt guy.
01:25 Yeah.
01:26 They have two edge rushers as opposed to the Niners who might have none in this game.
01:30 Yeah.
01:31 Yeah.
01:32 So you know what?
01:33 I'm going to take a chance.
01:34 If they have Bosa, they beat the Steelers.
01:37 Without him, they lose.
01:38 That's how I feel, Iggy.
01:40 Does that seem outlandish to you?
01:41 Now, I mean, there is the fact that the Niners offense was scoring like 35 points per game
01:46 with Purdy last year.
01:48 Maybe they don't need Nick Bosa.
01:49 They don't need a great defense.
01:51 Maybe they can just go into Pittsburgh and put up a lot of points.
01:53 But I don't know.
01:55 I mean, their offensive line isn't that good.
01:56 Purdy hasn't played in a while.
01:58 The Steelers have a stout defense.
02:00 They stop the run.
02:01 They rush the quarterback.
02:02 I don't see the Niners scoring 30 points in this game.
02:04 It seems like it's going to be a low scoring game.
02:06 They don't have a good kicker right now.
02:08 They don't have their best player.
02:10 They're on the road.
02:11 They start slow.
02:13 Looking bad.
02:15 I think we could agree that pretty much you win with defense.
02:21 That's how they do.
02:22 That's how they do.
02:23 Yeah.
02:24 You win with defense.
02:25 Maybe they have a new formula this year, but they're going to have to establish a whole
02:28 new identity if they don't have Nick Bosa.
02:30 Yeah.
02:31 And I'll tell you something else.
02:33 You know who must really feel frustrated?
02:35 Steve Wilks.
02:36 Oh my God.
02:39 It's like playing chess without the queen.
02:44 You don't have the queen.
02:45 And no one's going to give him an excuse.
02:47 They're going to say, "Oh, Steve Wilks couldn't keep it going."
02:50 Where's his best player?
02:52 Yeah.
02:53 I mean, I don't know Steve Wilks, but if I were Steve Wilks, I'm thinking, "They're
02:59 bringing me to Pittsburgh.
03:00 I'm going to be judged on this performance.
03:02 I don't have the queen.
03:04 I don't have the best, strongest player on the board.
03:08 What do you expect me to do?
03:09 Win with pawns?"
03:10 Exactly.
03:11 And when they recruited Steve Wilks, they said, "Look, we want you to run our scheme.
03:15 You can't really do what you do.
03:17 We want you to keep the wide nine and learn what we do, so we don't want to change too
03:20 much.
03:21 But you're going to get Nick Bosa in the number one defense.
03:23 What do you say?"
03:24 And he said, "Okay.
03:25 Sounds good."
03:26 Vic Fangio didn't want that.
03:27 Vic Fangio wanted to run his defense the three-four way and didn't work out, so now he's in Miami.
03:31 So the Niners got Wilks, and he said yes, and he's running someone else's scheme, and
03:34 he doesn't have Bosa?
03:36 He must feel like, "Hey, management, you told me I was going to have this guy.
03:40 Now I'm running your scheme, and I don't have your guy.
03:42 You're going to make me look bad.
03:43 I'm going to be the scapegoat here.
03:45 It's not my fault."
03:46 Yeah.
03:47 And again, I don't know Wilks, but that's how football coaches think.
03:51 They wouldn't say it.
03:52 In a press conference, it's, "You know, next man up," and he'll say all that crap.
03:56 But you know, privately, when he's in his house, he's thinking, "Holy cow.
04:01 This is really hard."
04:04 This is not what I signed up for.
04:05 No.
04:06 You know?
04:07 I wish they would have worked this out.
04:09 And you know what?
04:10 Let him pay.
04:11 I bet he's thinking, "Pay the guy.
04:12 Pay the guy."
04:13 Please pay the guy.
04:14 Yeah.
04:15 Please pay the guy as soon as possible.
04:16 I'm sorry.
04:19 (upbeat music)