The Winter Of Mike Tomlin's Discontent

The Steelers will not win a playoff game this year and the Steelers haven't won a playoff game since after the 2016 season. Haven't been in a Superbowl since after the 2010 season and haven't won a Superbowl since after the 2008 season. People are beginning to talk and the pitchforks will be out in this, the last of the Steeler home games on Saturday afternoon.

Oh yeah, the Steelers haven't had a losing season but so what and big deal? That is a low bar of achievement. Would any fans of the Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys, Chiefs, Bills, think it was a good 2023 year if your team doesn't win a playoff game? No, you would be very disappointed. 

A head coach without a franchise QB reduces the odds of post season success greatly in the modern day NFL. For years Ben R made the Steelers competitive and in the mix until he didn't.

The Steelers have the second most expensive defense in the NFL and it has been hit with massive injuries but even so the whole style of leaning on a defense to win games is out of date in these times. The formula works until the defense becomes burned out and this has happened time after time and year after year with them under Tomlin. 

Skill players on the team are treated special and they also get away with murder, lame effort and selfish on field play. Targeting wrs George Pickens and Diontae Johnson in this one and they are both out of control. They give up on their routes which has led to picks, refuse to block for teammates, go after fumbles, and other selfish actions including whining all the time. They are great at whining. The TE Freiermuth refuses to block also. 

Now faced with an end of season collapse, the question needs to be asked, has Tomlin lost his team? Is the team owner, Art 'Fredo' Rooney the 2nd prepared to ignore the anger and open hostility towards Tomlin from the fanbase and proceed to extend his contract? Perhaps the money from merch and filling the stands is peanuts these days and Rooney can ignore their call for a head coaching change? 

The ideal solution would be to trade Tomlin to DC or the LAC for draft picks for a rebuild. Mainstream media is always trumpeting that many teams would stand in line for Tomlin, well IMO be careful what you wish for. 

Also a lot of head coaching candidates would stand in line to apply for the Steelers' head coaching job. Jim Harbaugh and Jon Gruden would be at the top of my list but AR 2 isn't that daring. The Steeler fanbase has made their decision and it is 'hit the road Jack'. 

Case in point, the lackluster cotton candy soft play by the Steeler O and D lines versus the Colts. Another tell tale sign that this team is headed for a bad ending IMO. Watt and Highsmith don't involve themselves with run stopping either for the most part. They are only interested in padding their sack numbers. Yikes 

 

@Buffalobob89074

 I m a huge Black and Gold fan, it¡¯s just painful to watch them play right now.  Wish they sign or draft a franchise QB, because Pickett is not it

@GodOfGambler64

 If Joe Montana had Canada as an OC he would have struggled

@rosswin97

The reason is Tomlin is immune from any accountability in the mainstream sports' media.

WHY IS THAT??? 

So I am holding him accountable here. 

4th best record since 2010 

The 'ideal' situation would be for them to find a successor to Big Ben.

Very, very few teams even make the playoffs, let alone win in the playoffs.  Very few consistently win, period.

Fan's expectations are set too high to start with.  Jax, Clev, NYJ, Was, etc would all gladly take the Steeler's record.

Of course, the ultimate goal is to win a SB.  But that is not a realistic goal for most teams and just icing on the cake if they get that far, or win one, in any 15-20 year timeframe.

As long as they are competitive and filling the stands, that is far more than the majority of the teams can say.

Tomlin has not lost the locker room -- he simply does NOT have the QB he needs, or at least the current one has not developed enough yet.

It is so very, very hard to find the right QB (in a much more QB-driven league than ever before).  So, it is hard to replace an all-time great.  Look at New Orleans or New England for other recent examples.

Why change the coach just because you do not have the right QB.  Too many teams keep changing QBs AND coaches for this reason and it does not work out.

At least PIT is consistent on the coaching -- now, imagine, if they had a great QB.

Very few teams have consistent coaching and QB play.

Sure, he has issues and his staff can be questioned at times.  But they always seem prepared with what they have.  

What happens if you replace him and get a real 'dud' and still have NO QB.  Why chance that, when it is obvious exactly what the team needs.  

Even Parcells or Gibbs would have a hard time winning with the sub-par QBs the Steelers have been trying -- and that includes Big Ben's last two years.

@WilliamMunny

No.  He would not have.  Nor would any other all-time great QB.

No great OC can do much with a subpar QB -- it is his job to develop one and only so much can be done with a subpar one.

Any decent OC can look great with an all-time great QB.

@Buffalobob89074

Maybe you should recheck the media.  They have been all over him since before Big Ben left and it gets worse after every bad outing.

He is very far from immune --especially by the local media.  They are the very definition of rabid fans there. 

I disagree that Canada had full control over the offense. Pickett doesn't have the power to audible out of plays. 

There is another numbnuts in the woodpile though that does have the power. Any idea who that is? 

Tomlin drove both Bruce Arians and Dick LeBeau out of town because of his meddling and screwups.

He has a certain entitlement so he is immune from all accountability but as he is destroying the franchise he will at last have a rendezvous with destiny. 

Cool video. Even better, that dude's Yinzer accent

@Raiders22

I am referring to mainstream sports' media who are always licking his posterior. 

Name one person in mainstream sports media that criticizes Tomlin even now? Aside from Bradshaw who calls him a cheerleader and this only in interviews and not in the pre game shows. 

Steelers have a dysfunctional Oline that they have been rebuilding for 5 years now. Why can't they run and pass block? Can't tell how good Pickett or any other QB is if their Oline doesn't function. 

To expect a playoff win after 7 years isn't expecting too much. Not for a franchise that has 6 Superbowl wins. 

@Buffalobob89074

 There are articles online nationally about removing him and that the game has passed him by, etc. 

This has only increased.  
You can do a quick search and find them. 
It is also locally increasing from what I see.  

But the media and fans do that anyway.  You can see this is NE, LAC and many other teams. 

They force coaches to start rookie QBs and then run the coach after 2-4 years.  Big cycle that is very unproductive. At least PIT is consistent. 

@Buffalobob89074

 In fact, at this point, you would be harder pressed to find media calling for him to stay. 

@Buffalobob89074

Steelers have a dysfunctional Oline that they have been rebuilding for 5 years now. Why can't they run and pass block? Can't tell how good Pickett or any other QB is if their Oline doesn't function. 

To expect a playoff win after 7 years isn't expecting too much. Not for a franchise that has 6 Superbowl wins. 

I would reevaluate your thoughts on their O-Line. It is not as bad as you seem to think.  
This is QB play-driven. 

That is a valid point about the lack of playoff wins for that franchise. 

The fans have long been spoiled by success.  

@rosswin97

The goal for Steeler Nation isn't having another winning 9-8 mediocre season awarded with a partcipation trophy. They want playoffs and superbowls. The doubt is that Tomlin can lead them there...15 years since taking Cowher's team to the Superbowl and winning. You just vomit back what mainstream media talks about all of the time, he never had a losing season...big deal. Mediocrity is not the goal. 

@Raiders22

 Today I saw Buddy Ryan and Mike Greenberg sucking Tomlin off. The same old nonsense about teams lining up for him. 

@rosswin97

 Now you are moving the goal posts, messaging boards are not mainstream sports media. 

@Raiders22

 I disagree .. look at jalen hurts and the Philly O this year. Losing steiken to Indy has really hurt their offense this year. They looked horrible last night. 

@Buffalobob89074

I just have to go by the numbers and how they grade out overall.  Obviously, like any team, they are going to have injuries and blown blocks and things.  I am simply saying that the criticism of their line is overblown.  It is mostly QB play that is their worst part. 

@Buffalobob89074

Gotcha   I never watch TV -- so I will have to defer to you on what those guys talk about.

I am talking about the articles that are written and maybe podcasts here and there.  I simply do not see the TV shows, unless it is during the game itself and no one is going to talk bad about them much during a game they are broadcasting.