In 17 seasons, Mike Tomlin has not had a losing record with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he barely has one Super Bowl ring. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A Super Bowl title, 2 American Conference championships, 7 division titles and 17 seasons without a losing record are unbeatable credentials for a head coach in the NFL. Even so, Mike Tomlin He is one of the most controversial figures among Pittsburgh Steelers fans and NFL experts.
Tomlin confirmed that he will return to Pittsburgh for next season and that he also hopes to extend his contract after a close of the year in which the Steelers seemed to regain their identity after many questions, particularly with the attitude of some players.
‘The standard is excellence’
Perhaps Tomlin’s most repeated mantra is “the standard is the standard,” which would translate to something like “the standard is excellence.” The problem is that the Steelers have fallen short of “excellence” recently.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike Tomlin have not won the Super Bowl since the 2008 season. (Photo by Joe Rimkus Jr/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Behind the winning records and the 11 playoff appearances there are other numbers that generate alarm. Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since 2016, when they reached the AFC Championship Game, and their last division title came in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic.
Additionally, the last time the Steelers reached the Super Bowl was in the 2010 season. Most recent title? 2008. Of course, the merit of the head coach has been to keep the team competitive for so many years.
A winning record increases the chances of going to the playoffs, and therefore, of winning a title. But the reality is that the Steelers have not come close to winning their seventh Lombardi Trophy since 2016.
Indiscipline and lack of leadership on campus
One of the issues that have plagued the team in the last decade has been the indiscipline of some players, especially on the offensive end. Le’Veon Bell y Antonio Brown They left the team on unfriendly terms. Brown also had a series of problems with Ben Roethlisberger, particularly over statements on the quarterback’s radio show.
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Most recently, Chase Claypool was sent to the Chicago Bears for indiscipline in 2022. George Pickens and Diontae Johnson were criticized this year for not following plays until the whistle. While Johnson accepted the mistake and apologized to the team, Pickens expressed that he stopped blocking because he didn’t want to suffer an injury.
Those indiscipline issues that have generally happened on offense go against what was happening with the Steelers before. Since the departure of players like Hines Ward, Alan Faneca and Jerome Bettis, there appears to be a leadership void on offense that has not been filled.
And although it is the leading players themselves who usually review these conduct issues, in the end, the head coach is the highest authority and who is responsible for the overall discipline of the team.
The Matt Canada case
Personnel decisions on the team, particularly offensive coordination, are also a factor that has drawn criticism of Tomlin. The best-known case is that of Matt Canada, who occupied the offensive coordinator position after the departure of Randy Fichtner in 2021.
Kenny Pickett, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, did not have the development that was expected in his first two years in the NFL. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The problem is that Canada was arguably the worst offensive coordinator in the NFL for more than two seasons. While Canada led the offense the Steelers never surpassed 400 yards in a game. Eddie Faulkner achieved it on his first attempt after assuming the position.
Furthermore, Kenny Pickett showed no progress in his development with Canada, who remained on the coaching staff despite the results, and the fans, being against him for a considerable period of time.
Tomlin assured that there will be a new offensive coordinator and that Pickett will remain as starting quarterback. Needless to say, much of their success in the near future will depend on both decisions.
The legacy of Mike Tomlin
The contrast is that no coach has achieved as much with a limited roster, for whatever reason, as Tomlin. Bell and Brown were notable in Pittsburgh and had little success outside western Pennsylvania.
Despite multiple injuries, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense closed the season as a solid unit. (Photo by Conor Courtney/Getty Images)
The Steelers also advanced to the playoffs this year despite having the most limited roster in a division in which all four exponents finished with a winning record, and they did so with three starting quarterbacks in the season.
It is also fair to say that there are several aspects that do not depend on Tomlin. Injuries have affected the team and the recruitment of players has not been as successful as in the past. Pittsburgh changed general managers in 2020, when Kevin Colbert gave his place to Omar Khan. But Tomlin remains the most controversial figure in Pittsburgh sports right now.
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