Tell anyone in Pittsburgh about Mike Tomlin’s “never had a losing season” streak and it’ll go over like a curse word in church. But outside of the city limits, there are still plenty of people who covet that stat. Including some of the league’s 31 other head coaches.
During a Tuesday press conference, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen was asked his thoughts on Mike Tomlin and his longevity with the team, the Steelers’ head coach for 17 seasons.
“That’s a great question,” he said via the Colts’ team website. “It’s incredible. I don’t know if he’s had a losing season, is that correct? It’s incredible. What he’s done throughout his career, getting those guys ready to play every single week. Obviously he’s got them ready. They’re prepared. They play hard every week, obviously. I’m sure he’s got a great message for those guys every week. But it’s impressive to see.”
Needless to say, Steelers’ fans aren’t feeling the same way. Especially not after back-to-back losses to a pair of 2-10 teams, Pittsburgh falling to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots in the span of four days. It’s dropped the once 7-4 Steelers to 7-6 and in the middle of an AFC soup of potential playoff teams with the same record, Pittsburgh one of five teams sitting at 7-6. Included in that group are the Colts. They are coming off a disappointing defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, falling apart in the second half as backup-turned-starter QB Jake Browning continues to make plays in a Bengals offense that is still potent even without Joe Burrow.
Saturday’s game between the Colts and Steelers is critical for both sides. The winner will have a leg up over the other and be in control of a Wild Card spot heading into the final three games. The loser will drop to .500 and see its playoff path begin to close.
While many in Pittsburgh have grown tired of Tomlin posting non-losing records and nothing more, zero playoff wins since 2016, a first-year coach like Steichen can appreciate his tenure. Head coaches almost never stay in one place for nearly two decades, and Tomlin is the second-longest tenured coach in one city in the league. He only trails New England’s Bill Belichick, who could be on his way out of Foxborough. And his non-losing streak has become a top talking point by the national media.
If Steichen is able to knock off Tomlin’s Steelers this weekend, he could sink Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes. He could also put Tomlin in real jeopardy of breaking his non-losing season streak, the Steelers needing to win two of their final three games of the year just to keep it alive.
