Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is taking plenty of backlash from the national media and the fan base after another loss to a below .500 team on Thursday night. A 21-18 loss to the New England Patriots marked Pittsburgh’s second-straight loss to a 2-10 team at home in a five-day span, the Steelers also losing 24-10 to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
The frustration surrounding Pittsburgh’s head coach has only continued to grow as the team fritters away its chances at the postseason, having put together ugly performances this season in wins as well as their losses, playing uninspiring football for a team wanting to be a contender in the AFC. Self-proclaimed Steelers fan Stephen A. Smith and former Steelers S Ryan Clark talked about the Steelers’ loss last night on ESPN’s First Take Friday morning. Smith brought up his appreciation of Tomlin and all that he’s accomplished during his time in Pittsburgh but noted that something must change for this once-proud franchise to reclaim back some of its dignity.
“Of course, of course he should not be fired or anything like that, but they gotta do something about someone who is picking this personnel,” Smith said to Clark on First Take, which aired on the show’s YouTube channel. “We gotta find a quarterback. We gotta find a play caller. It is embarrassingly bad. This is just tarnishing the Steelers’ franchise. The one you won a championship with. The Steelers. The Black and Gold that you wear with pride all of those years. They are a disgrace. It is awful.”
Steelers Depot’s very own Alex Kozora worded it best this morning, stating that the Steelers’ performance the last two weeks has been unacceptable, and that Tomlin is the one to blame for allowing this charade to continue. Smith seems to agree, calling this storied franchise that many of us love with our whole being a disgrace and a joke, being a shell of the teams that won Super Bowls. One of those players who captured a world championship under Tomlin back in 2008 was Clark. He chimed in with his thoughts on Tomlin, proclaiming his love and adoration for his former coach but also firmly stating that Tomlin needs to look in the mirror.
“I love Mike T,” Clark said. “I don’t believe Mike T should be fired, but Mike T is the most to blame for this. Mike T’s loyalty to Matt Canada throughout this season, throughout the offseason, his approach to always promoting from within is a large reason why you’re here, why he’s here. His approach with sticking to things too long is a large reason why you’re here.”
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Being steady, not taking too many risks, and handling everything in-house has been the Steelers’ way for decades, well before Tomlin got to town. However, he embraced this mantra and has applied it to his own philosophy, opting to promote from within with the coaching staff rather exploring outside to add fresh perspectives that may better complement what Pittsburgh is trying to do offensively or defensively. He also doesn’t like to make hasty changes regarding his personnel, sticking with players far too long when they have shown time and again that they haven’t been able to deliver results.
The Steelers held onto Canada for far too long rather than cutting ties with him this past offseason when they knew he wasn’t the answer. That stunted the development of QB Kenny Pickett and has kept the Steelers from finding out if he can truly be their guy as he got injured in his second game with Canada no longer on the sidelines. They’ve continued to rock with players who aren’t getting the job done on either side of the football. C Mason Cole continually struggles with the basics, like snapping the football to the quarterback, and LB Mykal Waker continually fail in coverage against tight ends, the Cardinals and Patriots’ tight ends going off the last two weeks.
Tomlin has accomplished a lot during his tenure with the Steelers. He’s made it to two Super Bowls, having won one while posting a regular season record of 170-99 (.631). Still, Tomlin is 8-9 in the playoffs since becoming Pittsburgh’s coach and plenty of talented teams under him have faltered when they should have competed for the crown. He’s also seen the issues that have plagued this team offensively the last several seasons continue, failing to get with the times and adjust to a league that seems to be passing him by. Tomlin may have been a great coach in the past and may be able to rally his players around him, but it’s time for him to stop resting on his laurels and do what he’s paid to do as the head coach of this team. That’s start with getting results even if it means changing his ways.
