When it comes to head coaches in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers long-time head man Mike Tomlin is as steady as they come on and off the field.
Though he hasn’t had as much success as the likes of Kansas City’s Andy Reid or New England’s Bill Belichick and certainly isn’t as flashy as guys like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan or Los Angeles’ Sean McVay, Tomlin remains one of the very best head coaches in the NFL year after year.
That’s the case entering 2023 as well, as Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema ranked Tomlin No. 3 in the NFL in his head coach rankings Wednesday morning, just behind Reid and Belichick.
“Tomlin has not had the recent postseason success of some of the other coaches around him on this list (he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016), but if every coach was available for hire, Tomlin’s name should be one of the first that pops into your mind,” Sikkema writes. “Simply put: The man just knows ball. Since 2007, his Steelers have never finished last in their division (finished third only three times) and have never finished a season with a sub-.500 record. That means unexpected injuries, the struggles of rebuilding a roster, bad luck and anything else this sport throws at teams have not derailed Tomlin from making the Steelers a winner.”
Tomlin’s non-losing streak is impressive and rare, there is no doubt about that. Granted, it can become a tiresome talking point, especially when up against the lack of playoff success in the last decade in the Steel City, but it’s hard to win in the NFL consistently. That’s what Tomlin does.
The Steelers somehow kept that streak going last season, winning their final four games to end the season one game above .500 at 9-8. Pittsburgh was one of the league’s worst teams entering its bye at 2-6 before going on a tear to end the year and nearly making the playoffs as the 7th seed. Had the New York Jets beaten the Miami Dolphins in the regular-season finale, a game that went down to the wire, Pittsburgh would’ve gotten in.
The thing is, this non-losing streak is something for others to talk about and to embrace. It’s not something that Tomlin has ever publicly admitted or been reported to acknowledge as being important to him. In fact, it was even said during the broadcast that the crew asked him as part of their preparations if it was important, and the only thing he said was, “Nope”.
Its importance lies only in the fact that he can encourage individuals to stay motivated to strive for something greater than themselves.
Tomlin’s best trait is his ability to lead and get players to buy-in even during the most difficult and unlikely of circumstances. He showed that time and time again over the years, especially last season. He’s never lost the locker room, connects with his players well, and is a better X’s and O’s tactician than given credit for.
That’s why it’s not a surprise to see Tomlin at No. 3 in Sikkema’s rankings. Hopefully that playoff success returns as the Steelers have a rather strong roster in place entering the 2023 season.
