Steelers RB Fitz Toussaint on fumble: ‘There is no excuse for that’

“I have to protect the ball. There is no excuse for that,” Toussaint said of his fumble in the Steelers’ 23–16 loss to the Broncos.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Fitzgerald Toussaintsaid there was ”no excuse” for his fourth-quarter fumble that resulted in his team’s 23–16 divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Toussaint committed the game’s only turnover, which the Broncos then converted into a 13-play touchdown drive.

“I have to protect the ball. There is no excuse for that,” Toussaint said, according to ESPN. “Obviously, [I was] just going over and over in my head how I could have protected the ball a little bit more. They made a great play, so you have to give them credit. In that situation, though, I put it on myself.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin recognized that the fumble cost his team the game.

“The bottom line is, you lose the turnover battle in a hostile environment versus good people, it’s going to cost you,” Tomlin said. “It cost us today.”

• NIESEN: It’s been a slog for Peyton but he’s one win from Super Bowl 50

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger came to the running back’s defense, stating that he was proud of the way Toussaint played.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, Tomlin did not appear to want to dwell on the fumble.

“Such is life in this business,” Tomlin said of the loss. “It's not easy, but we’re built for it. It’s just how it goes.”

- Xandria James