Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has warned his players that they will be dropped from the team if they don't put in the required effort.

Tomlin's comments came after his side conceded the most points in franchise history when they were trounced 55-31 by the New England Patriots last night, allowing their opponents to gain 610 yards during the match - another all-time high against the Steelers.

Tomlin outlined his plan to thoroughly analyse the game and confirmed that he would drop anyone that he felt wasn't pulling their weight.

"We are going to comb through this with a fine-tooth comb and those people who are lacking effort won't be playing. It's just that simple," Tomlin told The AP.

The defeat leaves the Steelers languishing at the bottom of the AFC North with a 2-6 record.