After another disappointing playoff exit for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin is under serious scrutiny. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and most of their losses have seen them get absolutely crushed. This year was no different. The Steelers ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak, and they let that bad aura follow them into the postseason. Despite all of that, analyst Sam Monson of The 33rd Team believes Tomlin is still a positive asset for the Steelers.
“I think, overall, the net balance of what you’re getting from Mike Tomlin over the course of a season is a huge positive,” Monson said recently on his Check the Mic podcast. “It’s just that his errors show up huge in the postseason because he’s behind the 8-ball because his quarterback is Russell Wilson versus what is likely to be three-time MVP Lamar Jackson.
“They’re big underdogs because of that, so anytime he screws up, it’s a bigger problem.”
It’s true that Tomlin’s Steelers have been outmatched at quarterback during their last few playoff trips. Mason Rudolph and Russell Wilson aren’t exactly high-end starters, especially when the opposing quarterbacks have been Jackson and Josh Allen. That is undoubtedly part of the reason the Steelers have failed in the playoffs the last two seasons.
However, this playoff drought started with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. The Steelers lost to teams with Blake Bortles and Baker Mayfield starting. It’s not like quarterback is the only reason they’ve been unable to win a playoff game.
Tomlin has still been one of the best head coaches in the NFL. The fact that he’s even gotten the Steelers to the playoffs without a franchise quarterback is impressive. That shouldn’t excuse their failures, though. What’s the point of making the playoff if the Steelers are just going to automatically lose?
Teams have won playoff games without amazing quarterback play too. The Steelers’ roster doesn’t lack talent. Their defense is supposed to be one of the NFL’s best, but this year that unit fell apart down the stretch. It got pushed around for weeks, culminating in the Baltimore Ravens outmuscling the Steelers on the ground in the playoffs.
It’s true that Tomlin raises the Steelers’ floor. However, he has also struggled in the playoffs more almost a decade. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive. Monson is correct that the Steelers would have a better chance if they upgraded at quarterback, but that isn’t the only reason they’re getting blown out in the postseason. At this point, it’s becoming a trend for Tomlin’s Steelers, and that isn’t good at all.
