The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 30-6 against the Houston Texans on Monday night, making it nine years since their last playoff win, which was against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017.
Now many fans are wondering what to do about their head coaching situation. Though Mike Tomlin has a great resume as a coach, with 22 non-losing seasons and 11 double-digit win seasons, the Steelers have not produced where it matters most.
Tomlin is an excellent recruiter. He was able to bring in top-tier guys like Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey, but once they get to Pittsburgh, they have not produced like fans thought they would.
Tomlin sticks to the standard and is unwilling to take any risks for a big season. Trading away George Pickens and hoping that D.K. Metcalf could replace him was a mistake. This is because Pickens is a better receiver than Metcalf, although Pickens has more self-control issues.
This might be because of a lack of discipline in the Steelers locker room; in one interview, Rodgers called out the wide receivers in the room, claiming they do not put in enough work to know the plays.
Tomin is not able to control the locker room anymore, and more proof of this is how Pickens, once traded to the Cowboys, suddenly became less wild with his actions in Dallas.
The Steelers should finally admit that it is time to move on from Tomlin and replace him with an up and coming coach in the college circuit.
On top of the head coaching issues, it is time to replace the offensive coordinator as well. On Monday night, Pittsburgh earned four yards on seven plays after a forced fumble by Keeanu Benton, which was recovered by T.J. Watt in the red zone.
With momentum from a big defensive play like that, there is no way a playoff team that claims to be one of the best in the league should only earn four yards. Chris Boswell was the only Steeler player to score last night.
The offense also had additional momentum off of turnovers forced by Jack Sawyer and Brandin Echols as well. But when the offense cannot even earn a first down, you’re going to lose the game.
The offense also has a hard time utilizing its weapons, with Pat Freiermuth only getting one catch the entire game, despite him being one of our best players.
Arthur Smith, the current offensive coordinator, has received a head coaching interview request from the Tennessee Titans, and the Steelers should be ecstatic if he is hired there. This way, the Steelers could get a new coordinator with no issues.
With Rodgers possibly retiring, the Steelers are facing an issue with their quarterback again. Steelers backups Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are possible one-year solutions, and depending on how Howard plays, he could be a permanent solution.
Howard was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft, and he has a similar play style to Tom Brady, who was also drafted in the sixth round.
If the Steelers go with Rudolph, they should consider drafting another quarterback in the draft and attempt to develop that quarterback by letting him sit on the bench for a year.
If Rodgers retires, the Steelers should consider releasing a few other veterans as well, including Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, and Jabrill Peppers, which would give more room for new players like Derrick Harmon, who is a rookie who had a great season.
The Steelers should fire Tomlin and Smith while moving away from some of their veteran players, making a younger, more exciting team.
