This season has been a pleasant surprise for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many people expected them to be a bottom-feeder in the AFC North, but almost two weeks into December they’ve got a firm grasp on the division lead. Much of that is thanks to Mike Tomlin. For most of his Steelers tenure, Tomlin has had his detractors, but this season has been an excellent example of his abilities. Just ask former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi.
“All those idiots in Pittsburgh that think you can get a better coach than Mike Tomlin, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lombardi said recently on The GM Shuffle. “Zero idea. Zero. Now, you can say you can improve the talent on the team, no question.
“Could you improve some of the game decisions? Of course, everybody needs all that. This guy is the reason, as he would say, he’s highly compensated because he’s very good at what he does.”
It’s tough to say Lombardi is wrong. Tomlin has already clinched his 18th straight non-losing season. That’s an unreal stat, especially considering some of the struggles the Steelers have gone through. Even though their franchise quarterback retired after the 2021 season, Tomlin made sure the Steelers remained competitive.
Even this season, some people have heavily criticized Tomlin. When he benched Justin Fields for Russell Wilson, Tomlin seemed like he’d lost his mind. Since then, it’s become clear why Tomlin has earned the respect of his players and peers. Wilson has elevated the Steelers’ offense, giving them their most complete team in years.
Some people are always going to have a problem with Tomlin. That’s just the nature of his job. He’s not perfect, and his issues are well-documented. When the Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago, Tomlin totally dropped the ball on numerous occasions. His clock management was poor, and his decision-making concerning a penalty on the Browns’ final drive was maddening.
Like Lombardi says, though, no one is perfect. The Steelers would have a tough time finding a better coach than Tomlin. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
It is clear why fans are frustrated with Tomlin. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and that’s beginning to grind everyone’s gears. The Steelers’ standard is championships, but they haven’t truly competed for a Super Bowl in years. That could change this year. Perhaps that would silence most of Tomlin’s remaining doubters.
