The Pittsburgh Steelers have had to overcome adversity after starting the 2024 season with ten wins in thirteen games. To be fair, some of it was due to injuries to George Pickens, TJ Watt, and DeShon Elliott. Most of it was due to a lack of preparation by Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff, coupled with Omar Khan’s failure to fix key roster issues.
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Quarterback Russell Wilson Can’t End Dubious Streak
Tomlin has posted a three-game losing streak in seven consecutive seasons and has not won a playoff game in eight. The 2024 season seemed like it was going to be different. Pittsburgh halted a two-game losing streak earlier in the season, and it seemed like they had overcome at least one curse. Unfortunately, a brutal stretch of three games in 11 days saw Russell Wilson play his worst football in black and gold. The Steelers were not competitive against three of the NFL’s best teams and dropped three games by double digit margins.
The choice to start Wilson over Justin Fields tore the fan base into two camps. However, after seven starts, it was impossible to argue that Tomlin’s gamble was not rewarded. Over the last three games, Wilson has regressed to his level of play from his final year with the Seattle Seahawks and his controversial tenure with the Denver Broncos.
Is The Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson Honeymoon Over?
It isn’t too late for Wilson and Tomlin to rescue the season, but cracks are beginning to show in the bromance. After the Steelers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, Wilson indicated that a key interception early in the game that cost the Steelers points might have been someone else’s fault.
“Yeah, I think he was going to go vertical,” Wilson replied during his press conference. “At the end of the day, it can’t happen. It’s on me. I was trying to give Pat a chance. He’s done a good job for us down in the red zone and they made a good play.”
Wilson appeared to throw into triple coverage when Pickens broke his route off early. It is easy to blame Pickens because he has provided plenty of opportunity for critics to point out examples of lazy play. Tomlin during his press conference offered a strong defense of his mercurial star wide receiver.
“Not at all,” Tomlin emphatically answered ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “George’s route running had zero to do with that interception. George was fine.”
Wilson did not explicitly blame Pickens, but his reputation as very “media savvy” casts some doubt on his answer. He may have met his match with Tomlin, who knows a thing or two about handling a press conference. It is worth watching how this evolves as the season draws to an end. It is the first time the quarterback and head coach don’t seem to be on the same page.
Final Thoughts
During the Tomlin regime, the Steelers have relied on individual talent rather than a scheme, which is why Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since the Obama administration. Tomlin fans love to point out that he has never had a losing season. It is more impressive that he has only coached one game in his tenure, in which the Steelers were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
The national media has a disdain for Wilson and it is likely that if he clashes with Tomlin he will lose that battle with the likes of Rich Eisen, Jay Glazer, and Mike Florio. It has been a decade since Wilson won a Super Bowl. He is 23-31 over the last four seasons and has not appeared in a playoff game since the Seahawks lost by 10 points to the Los Angeles Rams in 2020.
The Steelers fan base has been subjected to the worst decade of football in Pittsburgh since the 1980’s. A beloved long time coach watched the NFL pass him by and limped to the finish of his career. Chuck Noll was forced into retirement by Dan Rooney. Fans and ownership were sick of being irrelevant at the end of the Noll era. He exited gracefully after a purge of his coaching staff and a three year extension. He managed one final playoff win as an AFC Wild Card against the Houston Oilers.
Tomlin signed a three year extension before this season began. It is likely that the Steelers will play the Houston Texans as an AFC Wild Card.
What do you think Steelers Sanctuary fans? Are you ready for the beginning of the end of the Tomlin era and the Wilson experiment, or should one or both continue? Let us hear it on social media and post your thoughts on X. You can also check out our YouTube Channel! If you want to support the website and podcast check out our new merchandise line as well!