“Embarrassing.” That’s the only word that fits. Mike Tomlin has to go.
Anything else would be too kind for this team after this latest loss, a 26-7 drubbing at home to the Buffalo Bills. There’s only one conclusion to be drawn in the aftermath of this game: It’s time for a change.
It has been nine years since the Steelers won a playoff game. They have gone 0-6 in the playoffs since. This year’s squad looks incapable of even making the playoffs, let alone beating anyone if they were to sneak in. The ultimate responsibility for this disaster lies with one man: Mike Tomlin.
The product the Steelers put on the field against Buffalo was inexcusable. The Bills, a team that has faced its fair share of disappointment and adversity this season, completely bullied the home team. They ran down the throats of the Steelers’ defense for 249 yards, the most allowed to an opponent in Pittsburgh in over 50 years.
Embarrassing. The crowd even booed Renegade.
The Steelers showed more fight after the whistle than during play. Cam Heyward, who had been jawing with Bills QB Josh Allen all game, was flagged 15 yards for taunting right after a Bills’ touchdown.
Again, embarrassing.
Heyward told reporters after the game that Allen had kneed him in the stomach during the game. Tough break, that’s football. A 15-year veteran like Heyward knows better than to let that affect him for an entire game. Guys who are supposed to be leaders on this team, like Heyward and DK Metcalf, were throwing tantrums on the field and showing how undisciplined this team is.
Courtesy Breal.tv
Lack of discipline always falls on the coach. The frustration of this season is setting in for the players. It is Tomlin’s job not to let that show up on the field.
I’m not saying that Tomlin isn’t a good coach. He has been a great coach, and he will surely be inducted into the Hall of Fame one day. That doesn’t mean his time in Pittsburgh should continue. He is the captain of a ship that is sinking now and has barely stayed afloat for the past decade.
“He has never had a losing season” should be a nice tidbit about a coach’s entire body of work. It should not, however, be the only defense for keeping a coach year after year. I thought the Steelers had a standard? That’s what we have been told our entire lives.
That standard used to be winning Super Bowls. Now the standard is finding a way to finish 9-8 and lose by at least two touchdowns in the Wild Card round.
Even worse than being the new standard under Tomlin, 9-8 seems to be the goal. Why else would he allow this proud franchise to be held hostage for months by Aaron Rodgers before the season starts? Waiting around for a 41-year-old quarterback to decide if he wants to play or not was an unwanted distraction for many in the Steelers’ locker room.
Real Super Bowl contenders know who their quarterback will be before June. Tomlin didn’t just allow this distraction; he seemed to welcome it by never expressing any sense of urgency for a decision from Rodgers.
Rodgers has been ok for the Steelers this year. However, his stat line looks better than his actual impact has been. He has faded as the season enters the home stretch.
This season started promisingly for the Steelers. The AFC North was basically gift-wrapped for them after Cincinnati lost star QB Joe Burrow for months in Week 2 and Baltimore lost two-time MVP Lamar Jackson for about a month shortly thereafter. The Steelers jumped out to a 4-1 record while the Ravens limped to a 1-5 start. Both the Steelers and Ravens now find themselves at 6-6, but heading in opposite directions.
Tomlin has to be held accountable for this collapse. The problems plaguing this team have existed for years under his watch. Tomlin has always hired lackluster coordinators. The league’s highest-paid defense has been allowed to underachieve under coordinator Teryl Austin for years. Arthur Smith has been a slight upgrade from previous offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but that wasn’t exactly a high bar to cross. It’s almost like Tomlin fears having someone on his staff who could be seen as his replacement. Notice Tomlin’s complete lack of a coaching tree. Great coaches have their coordinators poached for head coaching jobs. Not Mike Tomlin.
For years, Steelers fans have clamored for Tomlin to be fired. His defenders would ask, “Who are you going to get to replace him?” They’d say another team would hire him the next day.”
I’m sure that he would get another job right away. He’d probably be at the top of the list for every team with a head coaching vacancy. He probably would have success elsewhere. None of that means he should continue to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Just look at the Philadelphia Eagles. They dared to fire Andy Reid, who has since won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles, meanwhile, have gone on to win two Super Bowls post-Reid. Sometimes a move like that works out for everybody.
As long as Tomlin stays in Pittsburgh, there will not be another championship. The team will continue to compete for the seven seed instead of competing for a Super Bowl. 9-8 records will continue to be celebrated.
We should be grateful for Tomlin’s time in Pittsburgh. He accomplished a lot during his tenure here. Getting back to those heights now requires a new leader and a new voice. Tomlin’s message has gotten stale. It shows almost every week. The Steelers need to show everyone that accountability starts at the top.
The results speak for themselves. Mike Tomlin should not be coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers next year. And results, not sentiment, are all that matter.
