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Plenty of post-game discussion has emerged following Pittsburgh’s mishandling of the final two offensive snaps of the 27-24 loss to the Patriots. But the most telling words were those uttered at the time the events were unfolding.

This week’s Inside the NFL has some of those words, and they underscore how unprepared the Steelers were for the events that transpired after the league office overturned a Jesse James touchdown catch. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has posted some of the details on Twitter.

Coach Mike Tomlin made it clear to offensive coordinator Todd Haley that, if the next play after the reversal (second and goal) ended with the clock still ticking, the Steelers would run another play.

“If it’s in the field of play, we got to play,” Tomlin said to Haley. “You follow me? You got me?”

Tomlin then says to Haley, “Give [quarterback Ben Roethlisberger] a play. He can’t clock it. Give him a play.”

But the Steelers had only one play. And Roethlisbeger consistently has said that, as he was planning to “clock it” after a short pass to Darrius Hayward-Bey kept the clock ticking, the coaches were telling him not to. Roethlisberger also has said that the Steelers didn’t have two plays ready after the touchdown was overturned, which seems to be accurate.

What doesn’t seem to be accurate is Tomlin’s claim that the officials led the team to believe that, if the James touchdown were overturned, it would have arisen from a failure to get the ball across the plane of the end zone, giving the Steelers the ball at the one. But a discussion between one of the officials and Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter makes it clear that the issue wasn’t breaking the plane but keeping possession upon hitting the ground.

The Steelers had 200 seconds from touchdown to reversal to make a plan. They failed to take advantage of that extra time. And they still don’t seem to understand why they lost. Which makes it more likely that they’ll lose the rematch, if there even is one.