With all the talk swirling about this being the beginning of the end of the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh, there has been much debated centered on those talking points regarding the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers head coach.
Questions on whether he’s lost the locker room, questions on if he truly can lead the Steelers back to contention in today’s offensive-driven game, questions on his ability to truly be the leader he once was.
One man doesn’t have those exact questions about Tomlin. That would be NBC Sports’ Peter King.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan’s midday Cook and Joe Show with co-host Joe Starkey and special guest host Bob Pompeani Tuesday, King stated emphatically that he wants Tomlin to return next season as the Steelers’ head coach. But he also said that the franchise needs Tomlin to answer two key questions before running it back with him in 2024.
“I think the one thing that Art Rooney really needs to do when it comes to the postseason decision is you gotta decide, are we gonna try to bring in somebody from the outside to revamp, maybe redesign, our offense? So that’s one thing,” King said to Starkey and Pompeani, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “And then the second thing is, I don’t think that this is a fatal flaw, but I think it bothers me. It bothers me that Diontae Johnson and George Pickens do not play all out on every snap.
“It just really bothers me. Somehow, some way that must get fixed. So those are the two things. I wrote this week that I would want Mike Tomlin to come back, but I would want answers to those two questions.”
The Steelers already made one big, uncharacteristic decision this season, firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Tomlin and the Steelers deemed it necessary to move on the from Canada after the offense continued to struggle and second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett continued a frustrating regression.
Though there was a one-week improvement in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals after the firing of Canada, the offense has come back to earth, scoring just 10 points against the Arizona Cardinals and then just 18 points against the New England Patriots last Thursday.
While interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner has improved communication and interim play caller Mike Sullivan has received some praise from offensive pieces for his play calling and ability to mix things up, the Steelers need to do a full-on rebuild on the offensive side of the football from a philosophical and schematic standpoint.
Doing so could really help usher the Steelers into the modern era of offensive football.
As far as the Johnson/Pickens question goes, that is something Tomlin is going to have to get on top of this offseason. They are both extremely talented wide receivers, ones who demand the football and want to make plays to help the offense get out of its funk and score points.
But effort is a major problem with both, as is attitude. Tomlin, for all his warts, did a great job throughout his career keeping a lid on a guy like Antonio Brown. Neither Johnson nor Pickens is at the level Brown was as a personality late in his career. But right now it doesn’t feel as though Tomlin has a handle on the two when it comes to sideline outbursts, body language and effort.
That’s a major concern, one that needs fixed in a hurry.
