Mike Tomlin: “We get the opportunity to smile in the face” of a loss

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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin actually seems relieved that his team finally has lost a game.

Five days after one of the best rants of the year, which followed a sluggish win over the Ravens, Tomlin came off as upbeat and positive after the Steelers picked up their first loss since Week 17 of the 2019 season.

“Different points along the journey you get a chance to learn about yourself, who you are, what you’re made of, individually and collectively,” Tomlin told reporters after the 23-17 loss, which included the Steelers blowing a 14-0 lead. “And it takes the journey to reveal that. We’re faced with a loss now. We get the opportunity to smile in the face of it.”

The Steelers hold a two-game lead plus the first half of the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Browns in the AFC North. The Steelers are tied with the Chiefs at 11-1 in the AFC standings. The Steelers hold the edge for now because their loss came out of the conference, giving them a better record against AFC foes.