Mike Tomlin is objectively awful at clock management.

[snarky]

No one thing costs a team a game. But Mike Tomlin's use of time-outs yesterday was objectively awful. By objectively awful, I mean there is no reasonable scenario in which saving his time-outs until after the two minute warning was a superior strategy to using them right away.

His misuse of the team's timeouts probably cost us three more cracks at the end zone on our last drive. To be sure there were other mistakes in the game. But IMHO poor clock management is absolutely inexcusable. And this isn't the first time (although it is perhaps the worst). Years back there was an OT game against Atlanta where he almost cost us the game with his time outs at the end of regulation. And his use of time-outs was also poor against Green Bay in the Super Bowl.

Unless he is making it up as he goes along, these are mistakes that shouldn't happen. If he can't figure it out on his own (and that's fine, too) then he should either task one of the assistants with schooling up on effective time-out use and advising him at the end of each half or hire somebody to do the same. With the number of receiving weapons we have, I'd back us to score a TD with three more tries at the end of yesterday's game.

I'll just add here that I have a long history of defending Tomlin as our HC. And I'm not calling for his head. But he needs to get better at clock management. Much better, in fact.

[feltdizz]

yup... and it would be nice if our vet QB was better at clock management as well. Not sure why Ben isn't calling a timeout since he is our field General.

Tomlin certainly isnt going to call time out so screw it, just call it and save the time.

[Slapstick]

The only reasonable scenario where it makes sense to save your TOs on offense is when you are expecting your two time SB winning QB to add to his total of 35 4th quarter comeback victories. You are also trusting your defense to make a stop and force a punt. The defense held up their end. Again, by using your TOs before the 2 minute warning, your force your own offense to use the sidelines in the 2 minute drill so the middle of the field is closed off. If you do happen to throw to the middle of the field, you end up using all the time you may have saved anyway.

[papillon]

I didn't like letting the clock run down to the 2 minute warning either, however, objectively here were the two options from which Tomlin could choose.

1) Use the TOs immediately and leave somewhere in the neighborhood of 2:20 on the clock and zero TOs and the 2 minute warning.

2) Let the clock run to the 2 minute warning, use all but one TO and leave 1:50 on the clock

These were the options, I'm not sure which is better, you would think having 2:20 is the better option, but I'm not certain. I'd like to hear Tomlin's explanation for choosing option #2.

Pappy

[Slapstick]

I didn't like letting the clock run down to the 2 minute warning either, however, objectively here were the two options from which Tomlin could choose.

1) Use the TOs immediately and leave somewhere in the neighborhood of 2:20 on the clock and zero TOs and the 2 minute warning.

2) Let the clock run to the 2 minute warning, use all but one TO and leave 1:50 on the clock

These were the options, I'm not sure which is better, you would think having 2:20 is the better option, but I'm not certain. I'd like to hear Tomlin's explanation for choosing option #2.

Pappy

The ability to use the entire field.

[snarky]

The ability to use the entire field.

Holding one TO does not give you the ability to use the entire field for a full drive. Once you use that TO you are in the same situation you were before (EDIT: same situation i.e. no time outs)

Also, you might recall that during the drive in question, they did use the entire field and still ended up within striking distance.

Given that it takes maybe 15 seconds to line up and spike the ball after a play, 2:20 plus the two minutes warning is absolutely superior to one time out and 1:47.

DOUBLE EDIT: A better way to explain my thinking: The ability to work the entire field is a function of how far you have to move the ball, how many time-outs you have remaining, how much time is left on the clock and how long it takes to line up and spike the ball. If spiking the ball is more or less the same as a time out and it takes 15 seconds to line up and spike the ball, letting the other team run clock down for 38 seconds in order to preserve one time out on the other side of the two minute warning is a net loss of at least one 'time-out equivalent' when you factor in that it took 13 seconds after the TMW to get the ball back.

[papillon]

The ability to use the entire field.

IMO, 2:20 is more than enough time for a top caliber QB to use the entire field by clocking the ball, using sideline routes or simply throwing it away. The entire field would have been available provided you don't take a 4 yard gain in the middle of the field. The middle of the field is there for bigger chunks of yardage that put more pressure on the defense because you're now getting into scoring range and they have to play more honest. The other play that I didn't like is the fake clocking of the ball and then hitting MB for 2 yards, had he not been able to get OOBs the game would have ended earlier. In that situation if you're going to run a play, MB should have been running a go route, not a 2 yard out.

Pappy

[snarky]

I'd like to hear Tomlin's explanation for choosing option #2.

Me too, Pappy. The only possible line of thinking that I could come up with was preserving the ability to challenge a play. I remember there was that game against Cleveland a few years back where being stuck without a time out cost him the ability to challenge an obvious turnover. But I think that line of thinking fails for a few reasons. Chief among them is the fact that presuming you stop them and force a field goal attempt, you are never without the ability to challenge until fourth down. And if you do give up a first down, the game is over.

[Djfan]

I agree on the TOs, but I like the idea of trying to sneak a play in when the defense is expecting a spike. Why not? Catching a defense when they are not ready is a great plan.

Do it better next time, though.

[papillon]

I agree on the TOs, but I like the idea of trying to sneak a play in when the defense is expecting a spike. Why not? Catching a defense when they are not ready is a great plan.

Do it better next time, though.

Completely agree, but the play has to be a go route or even an intermediate out pattern, 2 yards and the potential that the clock continues to run is not a good plan, IMO. If you throw it deep or intermediate out then if its completed its a nice play and easy to get OOB, if its incomplete you go back to the huddle and move on. The decision by Ben to throw it to MB for 2 yards is a head scratcher.

Pappy

[Slapstick]

Completely agree, but the play has to be a go route or even an intermediate out pattern, 2 yards and the potential that the clock continues to run is not a good plan, IMO. If you throw it deep or intermediate out then if its completed its a nice play and easy to get OOB, if its incomplete you go back to the huddle and move on. The decision by Ben to throw it to MB for 2 yards is a head scratcher.

Pappy

I think he was trying to signal MB to run a route, but MB didn't pick up on it until BR was ready to throw...

[WindyCitySteel]

Anyone who watched those 38 seconds tick away and wasn't furious doesn't understand the game. He traded 38 seconds and a mandatory stoppage at 2:00 for one timeout.

Should have had multiple shots into the end zone at the end.

It's a problem that will never be fixed simply because Tomlin doesn't recognize it as one.

[MCHammer]

Anyone who watched those 38 seconds tick away and wasn't furious doesn't understand the game. He traded 38 seconds and a mandatory stoppage at 2:00 for one timeout.

Should have had multiple shots into the end zone at the end.

It's a problem that will never be fixed simply because Tomlin doesn't recognize it as one.

One would think the Rooneys would have recognized it as one. This is big business and the ongoing and unprofessional time management issues are costing them money.

[WindyCitySteel]

Here's Tomlin's explanation.

[url]http://www.pennlive.com/steelers/index.ssf/2015/11/steelers_tomlin_clock_bengals.html[/url]

[ter1230_4]

Me too, Pappy. The only possible line of thinking that I could come up with was preserving the ability to challenge a play. I remember there was that game against Cleveland a few years back where being stuck without a time out cost him the ability to challenge an obvious turnover. But I think that line of thinking fails for a few reasons. Chief among them is the fact that presuming you stop them and force a field goal attempt, you are never without the ability to challenge until fourth down. And if you do give up a first down, the game is over.

Ah, once there are two minutes left in the game a coach can no longer make a challenge. so letting the clock run down to two minutes with three timeouts remaining had nothing whatsoever to do with preserving the right to challenge.