Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Mel Blount is still one of the most revered players in team history, and someone who still closely follows the team despite his playing days ending after the 1983 season. Blount was recently a guest on The Eye Test For Two podcast hosted by Ira Kaufman and Clark Judge, and Blount detailed why he thinks Mike Tomlin is a special coach.
“I think what makes Mike Tomlin special is, that, number one, he’s smart, he’s a player’s coach, and by that I mean he can relate to these young players. He knows what buttons to push, and I mean that because he can befriend a guy or he can let him know he’s on his way out if he don’t perform,” Blount said. “In today’s game, in my opinion, you need to have coaches who is not just about the X’s and O’s, but coaches who can relate to these young players and make sure that they let them know their coach has their back and has their best interests.”
We know that Tomlin isn’t afraid to tell a player what’s going on. His interaction with Pressley Harvin back in 2021 after a poor performance, as detailed by tight end Jace Sternberger, shows that Tomlin will tell a player exactly how he sees it. In the modern NFL, that’s something players seem to respect, as they want to know how their coach feels about them and what their coach is seeing.
It’s not as if Tomlin doesn’t give players their deserved praise, but he knows what buttons to push and how to motivate guys to get the best out of them. It’s the mark of a good coach and one of the reasons why Tomlin has had so much success in the league.
Blount thinks that Tomlin’s coaching style is going to keep the Steelers alive in the second half of the season and make them a threat to win the AFC North.
“That’s been one of the keys to Mike Tomlin,” Blount said about the way he relates to players. “Because every time you think you’re about ready to bury them, they come alive and they win a big game. And they just keep winning. They’re doing it right now with defense, but I think the second half of the season, you’re gonna see some improvement in our offense, and when it’s all said and done, they’ll be in a conversation with this AFC North, as far as getting into the playoffs.”
Pittsburgh is currently 6-3, and there’s certainly a path to the playoffs and even a path to winning the AFC North. Of course, if the offensive improvements Blount thinks will happen occur, then that path gets a lot easier. Right now, the Steelers are relying on their defense to keep the score low and their offense doing just enough to win the game. QB Kenny Pickett has been good in the fourth quarter, but he hasn’t been able to string a full game together, and if the Steelers get behind a couple of scores early, they haven’t shown the ability to recover and get back in the game.
That’s going to make life difficult against good teams, but the Steelers’ upcoming schedule lends itself to the team potentially going on a run. They’re facing backup quarterbacks each of the next two weeks before back-to-back matchups with two-win teams in the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. Given the schedule, Blount is right on the money that the Steelers should be in the playoff conversation over the second half of the season.
His praise for Tomlin means a lot coming as a former player who knows what players want in a coach. Guys around the league want to play for Tomlin, and the way he motivates his players and creates relationships with them truly is special. He’s getting the most out of a Steelers team that hasn’t played up to their standard this year, and hopefully, he can keep the success going the rest of the season.
