After three straight losses, it might be time to worry about the Pittsburgh Steelers. With each loss by double-digit points, it’s not like the Steelers have been competitive either. These losses have been crushing, and the team looks lost right now. There’s not much time left in the year to make changes. However, former NFL wide receiver James Jones isn’t too concerned about the Steelers despite their skid.
“I’m not hitting the panic button just yet,” Jones said Thursday on FS1’s The Facility. “The main reason I’m not hitting the panic button is because of who their coach is. And their coach has let me know that ‘when it is a little bit of trouble over here and the dudes look a little hectic, and it might look like it’s time to panic, I’m gonna calm this thing down a little bit. We’re gonna get back to the drawing board and do what we have to do to win football games.’
“The Pittsburgh Steelers are a good football team.”
Those words might ring hollow after the past few weeks. Although Mike Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL, his squad has looked overmatched over the last three games. They were facing some of the best teams in the NFL, but that’s no excuse. The Steelers hold themselves to a high standard, but they’ve fallen far short of it recently.
However, Tomlin is a good reason why they can get back to form. For all of his faults, Tomlin is an excellent leader. He’s managed to make the best of several brutal situations. He might be the best man to get them back on track.
On the other hand, Tomlin’s Steelers do not have a good track record late in the year over the past handful of seasons. They’ve been prone to losing streaks in December. When they have gotten into the playoffs, they’ve stood no chance, getting their clocks cleaned.
Despite all of that, those seasons shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as failures. With lesser quarterback play, Tomlin has managed to will the Steelers into the postseason, beating all the odds. Obviously, that isn’t the ultimate goal and shouldn’t excuse his failures. However, it does speak to how he’s able to raise the Steelers’ ceiling.
Going into this season, multiple analysts picked the Steelers to finish last in the AFC North. Instead, they’ve contended for the division title, and they’ve already made the playoffs. Tomlin has defied expectations once again.
That’s part of why frustration is so high right now. The Steelers looked like one of the NFL’s best teams for most of this year, but they’ve collapsed so close to the finish line. It almost doesn’t seem to make sense.
At this point, it’s fair to panic. However, Jones is correct that Tomlin likely isn’t flinching. Despite all the issues and outside noise, he’s doing everything he can to right the ship. Whether that works remains to be seen. If the Steelers manage to gain some momentum heading into the playoffs, though, they could turn things around. The season isn’t over yet.
