The Steelers’ 27-22 win over the Ravens on Sunday was absolutely massive in every sense of the word. It snapped a two-game losing streak for Pittsburgh and put the organization in the driver’s seat for the AFC North title with four games remaining on the schedule. It also sent a big-time message to the rest of the NFL after a week’s worth of discussion about whether the Steelers might be better off moving on from longtime coach Mike Tomlin.

The statement victory had everyone in the Steel City riding high, and Aaron Rodgers used the win as an opportunity to deliver a strong statement to the media about all the Tomlin chatter.

Speaking to reporters after throwing for 284 yards and a touchdown in the win, Rodgers was asked what the win means given all the discourse about the Steelers and Tomlin’s future. He smirked before offering a blunt response.

“Means maybe you guys will shut the hell up for a week,” he said before raising his eyebrows to hammer home his point.

Rodgers earned the right to say that with the victory. Regardless of how meaningful it was, Tomlin’s tenure with Pittsburgh was under a microscope this week. It was the sort of talk that would only get worse if the Steelers continued to slide. Instead, they stepped up and changed the course of their season by beating a division foe. A statement win by every definition of the term.

There’s still a long way to go, though. The Steelers play the Ravens one more time in the last four weeks and visit an NFC playoff contender in the Lions in Week 16. They’ll need every win they can get to keep their spot atop the division.

But for this week, Rodgers and his teammates can take satisfaction in the lack of Tomlin talking points.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Rodgers Delivered Harsh Message to Media About Mike Tomlin After Steelers’ Big Win.

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