The more things change, the more things stay the same. And the more that results fail to change, the more the focus shifts towards those who haven’t changed. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the constant is Mike Tomlin. As his defense continues to struggle, the blame shifts from the players to him.
“Overall, it’s definitely one of the worst stretches of his career,” the PPG’s Ray Fittipaldo told 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller Thursday evening. “If not the worst. The concerning thing, like as I look at it from the outside is, it’s the same issues. It’s the communication. Everyone said, ‘Grady Brown is gone. They got a new d-backs coach. It’s gonna improve.’ It hasn’t improved. ‘Minkah’s gone. It was Minkah’s fault.’ Minkah’s gone and they’re still doing the same things.
“So eventually you gotta point at Mike Tomlin. We all know this is his defense. He’s gotta find a way to straighten it out. He usually does. But yes, it’s been a while now since they’ve actually been good on that side of the ball.”
Pittsburgh’s problems from a year ago have stayed true, at least for two games in 2025. Defensive miscommunication has led to easy touchdowns, like the crossing route scores allowed against the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks. These were moments the coaching staff said were addressed during the week, but not executed on the field.
This run defense doesn’t feel better than it was at the end of last year, allowing nearly 300 rushing yards through the first two weeks. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s efforts to sell the problems as something different have fallen flat.
Blaming Tomlin is fair. He’s the head coach and leader of the defense. He owns the results. But it’s fair to wonder what the consequences of that blame are. With a hefty contract signed for multiple more seasons, his job isn’t at risk. Perhaps Pittsburgh changes coordinators in the offseason, but moving on from Austin isn’t likely to make a meaningful difference.
All the team can do now is course-correct. Getting healthy is key, but it can’t be an excuse. If the defense can’t do a 180-degree turn and play like the unit did early last season, more changes will come. Just expect Mike Tomlin to stick around.
