About an hour ago
Philadelphia fired coach Doug Pederson. He and the Eagles won the Super Bowl three years ago.
Mike Tomlin, meanwhile, has a lifetime job in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin chaired collapses at the end of the season in each of the past three years: The Steelers went from 7-2-1 to 9-6-1 and no playoffs in 2018; 8-5 to 8-8 and no playoffs in 2019; from 11-0 to 12-4 and a playoff elimination from the first game this season. In 2017, the Steelers lost their first playoff game to Jacksonville at Heinz Field, losing 21-0 after less than 19 minutes.
The Steelers have had three playoff wins in 10 years. This despite having a Hall of Fame quarterback and a number of top talent. His 3-6 post-season record in that period includes defeats to jabroni QBs Tim Tebow and Blake Bortles.
In their last playoff disaster, the Steelers were favored by six at home against Cleveland last Sunday. The Browns were harmed by greed and injuries. The Steelers lost 7-0 after a snap, 28-0 after a quarter. They lost 48-37, but it was not that close.
Tomlin was seriously beaten and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was not even there. Tomlin’s game management revealed that he lived in his fears. This is your new normal.
Sunday night at Heinz Field was a total humiliation.
Chase Claypool got over it quickly. The rookie receiver was at TikTok less than 24 hours after the defeat. He easily dismissed the defeat because the Browns would be “applauded” by Kansas City in the next round of the playoffs. “It’s okay,” said Claypool.
It’s not “okay”. The Steelers’ culture is in disarray. No leaders, just veterans. Much of the team is immature and unfocused. The rest of the team is not going to fix it.
This is a litany of excrement. A coach with Tomlin’s recent resume would not be employed anywhere but in Pittsburgh. His greatest achievements are ancient history.
Tomlin’s mandate is not improving. It’s getting much worse. None of the above was fluky. The plane crashed on the mountain.
But Tomlin will train the Steelers for as long as he wants.
Tomlin never had a losing streak. Huzzah. Should a franchise that won six Super Bowls settle for a near-completion of the regular season? Hey, remember when Antonio Brown had at least five receptions of 50 yards or more in 35 consecutive games?
“The Steelers couldn’t get a better coach than Tomlin.” This is often said.
But the Steelers replaced Bill Cowher. They replaced Chuck Noll, who may be the best coach of all time. (That was after letting Noll stay at least half a decade longer.) The franchise had no trouble finding talent to serve as a head coach.
Look at the situation objectively. There is no logical reason to keep Tomlin apart from the idea that the Steelers never fire coaches. They have had three coaches since 1969.
Giving in to this at the expense of ignoring reality is a slippery slope.
But this is the “Steelers way”. How the franchise works.
But “the Steelers way” is not working. Do not exist anymore. He expired with Dan Rooney. The franchise is intimidated by its own players. This is the new “Steelers way”.
What needs to happen before Tomlin is fired? The Eagles went 4-11-1. Is that what is needed? This is probably not going to happen next season. But it is not far.
Can Tomlin correct 4-11-1, 3-13, 5-11 or 6-10? (He just flushed 11-0 into the toilet.)
Can Tomlin rebuild the Steelers? He never did.
Tomlin will be back. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will also be. Quality will be subtracted from the list through free agency and salary cap cuts.
Things are not going to change, except for the worse. The Steelers will postpone reconstruction until it is impossible.
The solution: dismiss one or two coordinators. Tomlin commands the defense, Roethlisberger the attack. But fire those who nominally do that. Place the marks. Apply a butterfly stitch to a gunshot wound.
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Mark Madden Columns | Sports | Steelers / NFL