Five years. Five years since the Steelers last playoff win. The last time a Mike Tomlin coached team had any success in the playoffs was the 2016 post season. Since then, this franchise has managed two playoff appearances. Both of those ended in losses where the defense gave up in excess of 40 points. That streak promises to stay intact as this team has a very slim chance to even make the playoffs in 2021. When the Pittsburgh Steelers “standard” has gone from Super Bowls to cracking .500, it may be time to move on from Mike Tomlin.
At what point to we begin to seriously question Mike Tomlin’s ability to take this team to the next level? The defensive struggles in particular over the last ten years are extremely concerning. It has become increasingly clear that without overwhelming talent, this coaching staff is unable to sustain an even competent group. Save for 2019 and 2020 when the Steelers had multiple Pro-Bowl talents carrying them, this defense has been in shambles for the majority of the last decade. Defensive breakdowns have become an all too common thing with Mike Tomlin teams over his tenure. Look no further than the last three playoff games this franchise has been a part of. They have given up 36, 48, and 45 points for a whopping 43 point average in those games. This from a head coach who’s specialty is supposed to be on the defensive side of the ball.
Kevin Colbert has spent no shortage of draft capital to bolster the defense over the years. The Steelers spent eight straight first round picks on defense from 2013 to 2020. The preoccupation in fixing the defense year after year has brought about a lack of talent in other areas. Particularly in the offensive line, which has been ignored early in the draft throughout this time. Now they are paying the price with one of the poorest lines in the league.
Whether it’s the message getting old, or poor coaching on defense, the time has come for this team to move on from Mike Tomlin. The players clearly didn’t respond to the coach’s plea that the Cincinnati game was the most important of the season. As for the defensive game plan, well that speaks for itself. It’s time for a new face, and a fresh start for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This team will have a new quarterback in 2022, they need a new coach to go along with it.
What idiot wrote this article apparently don’t know football…wow who can we get Lane Kiffin, Dan Maron, or better yet Matt Nagy man get the hell out of here, we need to get rid of that dead weight like this dead article
Whoever wrote this reply don’t know English, or football either
Tomlin is perhaps the most over rated head coach of any of the four major sports. He inherited a super bowl caliber team to win his only championship. Much of that same crew made it back to the Super Bowl in 2010. Since that point, he has three playoff wins. One versus the Bengals courtesy of Vontez Burfict. One versus a depleted Miami Dolphins squad that was missing its starting QB and once to the tune of 6 Boswell field goals and a missed two point conversion by the Alex Smith Led chiefs. Beyond that you have losses to NFL legends such as Blake Bortles and Tim Tebow. You have a blowout loss last year to the Browns, repeated losses to the Brady led Patriots and a loss to the Manning lead Broncos. You havent won a playoff game in 5 years and that sure as shit isn’t going to happen this year. The primary accolades folks like to cite in response to the Tomlin criticism is he has never had a losing season. I contend that is more a product of having a franchise quarterback your entire coaching tenure more so than anything mediocre Mike is doing. In terms of raw game management, Tomlin is arguably the worst coach in the game. He went 3 years without winning a challenge. THREE. YEARS. There are literally no in game adjustments. Ever. He was outschemed by the Dan Campbell and the woeful Lions. The product on the field is now at its worst level since the 1988 campaign and that was the beginning of the end for Chuck Noll. Its time to clean house and start over.
DCA agreed 100%, been saying this same thing for over last 4 seasons….
Please stop with the “He inherited” a Super Bowl team. What was he supposed to do? Turn down the role? Cowher left and wanted to retire. He has still not made a comeback. People like the individual that wrote this article and DCA aren’t on the Steelers payroll. So, go find another team to hate. Look at the teams that are doing well. The front office gets a young QB, then a line to protect them. We have done neither. Tom Brady would be a better option at 49 years old then Ben right now. Colbert is going to do the same thing to the next QB that he did for Ben. Not pick lineman that are good. Pouncey was done 4 years ago. DeCastro about 3. Villanueva should’ve been kept. I agree that Tomlin has some blind spots. I just don’t know if there’s another coach out there that would be much better right now. Cowher had a top flight defense that saved Ben multiple times. HOFs everywhere. Shazier still hasn’t been replaced. Young CBs are an issue still. Haden is done. Minkah has fallen off. Above all, the physical nature of the team is suspicious.
To clarify, I am not on the Steelers payroll.
The fact that Tomlin inherited a super bowl caliber team is only relevant in the context of what he has done beyond that time frame. The answer to that is 3 playoff wins in 10 years. There has been loads of talent drafted in the 15 years of the Tomlin era and minimal results to show. The same argument can be said with Cowher with one noted exception; a franchise QB. Cowher never had that until Ben. Once he got Ben, they managed to win a Super Bowl.
The Steelers had drafted defensive players in the first round 8 consecutive times up to this years selection of Harris, assuming you count Minkah as your first round pick in 2020. Tomlin runs the defense. He was a defensive coordinator prior to being the head coach here. It’s not just the front office that selects players. While Colbert is definitely part of the problem in terms of drafting, Tomlin has a large say and likely has influenced the lack of quality offensive selections that have caused what we presently see on the field.
The overall message is pretty simple. The team has to rebuild. If you are ever going to replace Tomlin, now it’s the time. Given the cap situation, the Steelers could spend some serious money to reload next year, if they chose and getting a guy in the HC position that actually makes meaningful adjustments and out schemes the opposing coach once and a while would be a refreshing change.
I agree with almost everything you said here except for Big Al being kept, he’s done too for the most part. Tomlin has done a lot more with less talent than Cowher ever could.
Name a better replacement?
How long has it been since Tomlin wad hired? 15? I think he’s gotten to comfortable with the Rooney way of not changing coaches. Something needs to happen to make him feel heat . He’s done all he can do in Pittsburgh. When Rothlesburger retires Tomlin won’t have a prayer on running many games at all.
He’s been there since 2007
I think it’s time to hit the restart button,, if not it’s going to get worse,, I rather see the organization move forward into future,, Rather having a losing season every year!!🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💪💪
The defense doesn’t intimidate anyone anymore,I realize that football is different now then it was in years past, but nobody plays with the passion that Jack Ham Lambert Mean Joe LC Greenwood had they need to start getting mean and let the other teams know when you got that ball your getting hit and hit hard, if a quarterback run that ball back in the day they we’re getting hit now you can’t even and look at one with out drawing a penalty flag so if your gonna get a flag at least make the hit count
This team is not going to the super bowl this year I love Ben and everything he’s done for this team he’s a legend to me but no one can play forever his time has come the best thing we can do is tank the rest of this season and do whatever it takes to get Kenny Pickett in the draft
Mike Tomlin is the PROBLEM
The problem was that the owners renewed a contract for a overweight QB, and got rid of Levon Bell and Antonio Brown. Yes, one of had problems but was still performing. Last year, I felt like I was watching a fat old man trying to QB…. You do the math.
Coach Tomlin seems to be a good and popular leader,however over the years as he has lost excellent assistant coaches ,he has replaced them with poor ones.Do we have any assistants who will be interviewed for head coaching jobs?We have not for years.The offensive line was great when Mike Munchak was the assistant offensive line coach.We had great defensive and offensive coordinators but no longer.Combine this with an aging and immobile quarterback and there is no hope.For Tomlin to stay he needs to replace his staff.
Well agree without a doubt Tomlinson is the most over rated coach in all of sport. I don’t get it, the team is never ready and there really in no game plan. Just because the guy is a little witty with his we’re men and we’re here to do a job comments people don’t recognize he is the one not doing his job. As I have learned in business… if one or two areas struggle… it’s likely the player, if the entire organization struggles….it’s the leader.
I often wonder because the media make him out to be “a players coach” I seriously doubt that is the truth as I’ve heard said in Texas… all hat and no cattle