The Steelers need to pick up their play if this season is going to be salvaged. Photo via steelers.com
It’s time to fire Tomlin
The Steelers were off to a great start to the year, with a record of 7-4 and looking forward to two easy wins against teams who had a combined record of 4-20. But after dropping both of those games, watching their starting quarterback go down, and having everyone involved become frustrated, it looks like Matt Canada isn’t the only one who needed to go.
People around the NFL view Mike Tomlin as one of the best head coaches in the league, but this year his weaknesses have come through. He has had some mental lapses in crucial moments of games, he has struggled to keep stars like George Pickens involved in the offense, and he has let his top-of-the-line defense get used every game.
It seems like in every game, the Steelers have to waste a timeout in a seemingly useless part of the game to avoid a delay of game. Tomlin’s decision making in regards to time management is too poor to compete in such a tough division.
Every week, there are new videos that go out on the internet that show either Diontae Johnson or George Pickens giving minimal effort on plays that don’t involve them. And fans shouldn’t blame them.
The offense should flow through those players. The run game the Steelers have is one of the best in the league. If they can find any success in the pass, their offense would be toward the top of the league in stats.
Mike Tomlin has been seen as a defensive-minded head coach his whole career, but this year he just doesn’t have it. This is one of the best defenses he has ever been able to coach, and it has looked like one of the worst units in the league. Tomlin has lost control of the team, which has caused many players to lose motivation.
The Steelers have the same amount of playoff wins in the past 10 years as the Pirates, who have been one of the worst sports franchises in the last decade. This is just another stat that makes Tomlin’s flaws clear.
The main argument people have for keeping Tomlin is that he has never had a losing record. But what has that brought the Steelers in the past 10 years? Six playoff appearances and three playoff wins. That is terrible for a team known for winning. A team can go 17-0 in the regular season, but it all means nothing if they don’t show it in the biggest moments.
Steelers are better off with Tomlin
As the Steelers continue to have their struggles during their three-game losing streak, two being against bottom-grade teams, many people believe that Tomlin is the main problem. But this is not the case.
The Steelers are now on the edge of making the playoffs, as Tomlin’s record of never having a losing season is at risk. This is because of not only their lack of quarterback play, but injuries and coaching changes as well.
Some Steelers fans hope to see the whole coaching staff fired by next year, while others want to see him get back to his winning form, which he is very capable of.
Tomlin has been coaching for 17 years in the NFL. Sixteen of these seasons have ended in a .500 or over win percentage, which no other coach in history has done.
Tomlin and the Steelers have been able to make two Super Bowls, one ending in a win, and the other being one that the team definitely should have won. Tomlin has also brought seven divisional titles and has made it to three AFC Championship games. His overall record as the Steelers head coach is 169-101-2.
As shown in the past three years, the Steelers have been going through a deep rebuild, especially after losing the three B’s: Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown. These players had to be replaced, and there is still a lot of room for improvement.
But when Tomlin and the Steelers finally jump out of the rebuilding stage, they are definitely going to be a dangerous team in the AFC, and can even be Super Bowl contenders.
Some people may argue that the reason why the Steelers used to be regular Super Bowl contenders was not because of Tomlin, but because of the players on the team, and how they were so talented.
Yes, the Steelers have definitely had some outstanding players, like James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, and Antonio Brown. But to improve and motivate these players, you have to have been a good coach.
Many former Steelers who played for multiple teams say that Tomlin was their favorite coach. This is because of not only his connections with the players, but because he can be hard nosed and tell players that “the standard is the standard.”
For the people who are saying Tomlin needs to be fired after this season, this is definitely not the best choice. Not only would the team lose a great coach and person, but the Steelers would be losing a guy who loves to win, will push the players to be tough on the field, and who has one of the best histories as a head coach ever in the NFL.
