Mike Tomlin...is it time to go? (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

Steelers look to be extended according to reports

Steelers want to give Mike Tomlin contract extension this offseason, per report

Pittsburgh apparently has no plans to part ways with Tomlin anytime soon

www.cbssports.com

Some folks will not be happy

 

[Mitchie]

Steelers look to be extended according to reports

Steelers want to give Mike Tomlin contract extension this offseason, per report

Pittsburgh apparently has no plans to part ways with Tomlin anytime soon

www.cbssports.com

Some folks will not be happy

dude has a winning team with essentially no QB, have to admit not following the situation super closely but getting rid of Tomlin seems insane.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

dude has a playoff team with essentially no QB

 

[fred_1_15301]

dude has a playoff team with essentially no QB

And a decimated defense. He’s done a good job to close out the year. No mistaking that.

 

[Steelers4Life]

On one hand, it's great that they made the playoffs and kudos to Tomlin for not losing the locker room. Pickett getting hurt saved the season.

This team wins a few more games if Rudolph starts instead of Trubisky, or at minimum replaces him after 1 1/2 games instead of watching him lose 3 before being forced into it.

On the other hand, this team doesnt have the lack of talent some want to believe, and the QB situation was as dire as it was in part because od Tomlin. The problem was an unimaginative OC (who Tomlin hired) and a poor QB (who Tomlin stuck with). And then when Pickett went down, he stuck with Trubisky and openly dissmissed Rudolph long enough for the team to lose 3 games. Rudolph saved the season and probably earned Tomlin an extension, but given the AFC, this team had more than enough talent to win even more if his ego hadn't gotten in the way and he had recongized the talent he had in the QB room.

Go Steelers.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

 

[fred_1_15301]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

Things change quickly in this league. He has plenty of faults that non-Steelers fans are probably not visible to. But you just cannot deny his success at this point. I agree that any idea of letting him go after the way this season ended is absurd. It isn’t happening.

 

[Judge Smails]

I don’t care for his schtick. But his record speaks for itself. He wins no matter what. Never gets too high (Siriani) or low. Team never quits on him. Hard guy to ever fire.

 

[ghostguy123]

As a Browns fan, I very much hope they fire Tomlin

 

[Dizzy]

I guess this thread will stay active for a 10th season.

 

[dickey moe]

No.

 

[Steelers4Life]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

 

[Steelers4Life]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

Yep, one could argue that. As someone who's watched every game for decades, I'd disagree with it, but I'm sure someone could argue that point.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

Yep, one could argue that. As someone who's watched every game for decades, I'd disagree with it, but I'm sure someone could argue that point.

His players largely seem to enjoy playing for him.

He’s got some personality challenges in Dionte & Pickens - he’s had a deficiency at QB. They still win games.

He’d be hired by another team in a heartbeat.

 

[Dizzy]

Can't wait to hear the "I told you so's" in 2035.

 

[Steelers4Life]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

Yep, one could argue that. As someone who's watched every game for decades, I'd disagree with it, but I'm sure someone could argue that point.

His players largely seem to enjoy playing for him.

He’s got some personality challenges in Dionte & Pickens - he’s had a deficiency at QB. They still win games.

He’d be hired by another team in a heartbeat.

He's definitely a player's coach. Might be why his teams have historically lacked discipline and often played down to inferior competition... a lack of accountability.

He'd definitely be a step up for some organizations. No doubt about that. He won't be fired, probably ever.

Look, I'm not complaining about regular season wins. They're fine. But is that the bar in Pittsburgh now? Bill Cowher before him took over a team that had been about .500 for a decade and quickly turned them into a perennial contender and finally won when he got Ben. Ben had his motorcycle accident, Tomlin took over the next year and won early with a ready-made Super Bowl contender. Kudos to him. But he's gradually lowered the standard to the point where pvrr the past 13 years, a 9 or 10 win regular season without any kind of playoff chances are considered a success because of his streak.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

Yep, one could argue that. As someone who's watched every game for decades, I'd disagree with it, but I'm sure someone could argue that point.

His players largely seem to enjoy playing for him.

He’s got some personality challenges in Dionte & Pickens - he’s had a deficiency at QB. They still win games.

He’d be hired by another team in a heartbeat.

He's definitely a player's coach. Might be why his teams have historically lacked discipline and often played down to inferior competition... a lack of accountability.

He'd definitely be a step up for some organizations. No doubt about that. He won't be fired, probably ever.

Look, I'm not complaining about regular season wins. They're fine. But is that the bar in Pittsburgh now? Bill Cowher before him took over a team that had been about .500 for a decade and quickly turned them into a perennial contender and finally won when he got Ben. Ben had his motorcycle accident, Tomlin took over the next year and won early with a ready-made Super Bowl contender. Kudos to him. But he's gradually lowered the standard to the point where pvrr the past 13 years, a 9 or 10 win regular season without any kind of playoff chances are considered a success because of his streak.

I get it. I’m a Niners fan. To fans, no coach after Seifert was worth a damn.

But the reality was that Mariucci deserved way more credit than he got, but for the bar that was set for him by Walsh -> Seifert.

it was only after Mooch that we realized how good we had.

I’m just sayin - be careful what ya wish for. Steelers are in a brutal division. I’m impressed by their continuing success. They need a QB. Be a nice landing spot for Wentz. After what I saw today, he’d be a massive upgrade.

 

[Dizzy]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

Yep, one could argue that. As someone who's watched every game for decades, I'd disagree with it, but I'm sure someone could argue that point.

His players largely seem to enjoy playing for him.

He’s got some personality challenges in Dionte & Pickens - he’s had a deficiency at QB. They still win games.

He’d be hired by another team in a heartbeat.

He's definitely a player's coach. Might be why his teams have historically lacked discipline and often played down to inferior competition... a lack of accountability.

He'd definitely be a step up for some organizations. No doubt about that. He won't be fired, probably ever.

Look, I'm not complaining about regular season wins. They're fine. But is that the bar in Pittsburgh now? Bill Cowher before him took over a team that had been about .500 for a decade and quickly turned them into a perennial contender and finally won when he got Ben. Ben had his motorcycle accident, Tomlin took over the next year and won early with a ready-made Super Bowl contender. Kudos to him. But he's gradually lowered the standard to the point where pvrr the past 13 years, a 9 or 10 win regular season without any kind of playoff chances are considered a success because of his streak.

Looks to me like Mason Rudolph is in the running for best QB on Steelers roster... you might want to lower your expectations.

Start whining again when they're stumbling with a real QB.

 

[fred_1_15301]

All he does is win with guys like Mason Rudolph & Kenny “tiny hands” Pickett.

But sure, send him packing so a retread coach can go 5-12 for a few years. Run him out on a rail for having the temerity to not win the SB every year.

That’s smart.

This thread is amusing to people who listen to national media and don't really follow the team. Can't argue that he'll get an extension though.

The issue that some of us have is if the standard is going to be regular season success, sure. Great. Win those 9 or 10 games. But if the standard is playoff success, well, his record isn't quite so shiny. Depends what the standard is I guess.

3 playoff wins in the past 13 years, none sonce 2016, ever since Cowher's core started moving on. Can't blame Pickett and Canada for that.

Only 4 out of 17 seasons with at least one playoff win. Again, that's not on Pickett or Canada.

In some organizations, that's awesome. In others, not so much. The bar has been lowered under his watch in Pittsburgh.

Will they win in Buffalo or KC next week? If not, it's just another year of being good enough to not suck.

One could argue that Tomlin is getting more out of this team than most would, and that the regular season success you’re seemingly complaining about may have been regular season failures under another coach.

Yep, one could argue that. As someone who's watched every game for decades, I'd disagree with it, but I'm sure someone could argue that point.

His players largely seem to enjoy playing for him.

He’s got some personality challenges in Dionte & Pickens - he’s had a deficiency at QB. They still win games.

He’d be hired by another team in a heartbeat.

He's definitely a player's coach. Might be why his teams have historically lacked discipline and often played down to inferior competition... a lack of accountability.

He'd definitely be a step up for some organizations. No doubt about that. He won't be fired, probably ever.

Look, I'm not complaining about regular season wins. They're fine. But is that the bar in Pittsburgh now? Bill Cowher before him took over a team that had been about .500 for a decade and quickly turned them into a perennial contender and finally won when he got Ben. Ben had his motorcycle accident, Tomlin took over the next year and won early with a ready-made Super Bowl contender. Kudos to him. But he's gradually lowered the standard to the point where pvrr the past 13 years, a 9 or 10 win regular season without any kind of playoff chances are considered a success because of his streak.

I get it. I’m a Niners fan. To fans, no coach after Seifert was worth a damn.

But the reality was that Mariucci deserved way more credit than he got, but for the bar that was set for him by Walsh -> Seifert.

it was only after Mooch that we realized how good we had.

I’m just sayin - be careful what ya wish for. Steelers are in a brutal division. I’m impressed by their continuing success. They need a QB. Be a nice landing spot for Wentz. After what I saw today, he’d be a massive upgrade.

I agree with a lot of this other than Wentz. We've seen Wentz's story for a while now. He rushed 17 times today lol. That's a recipe for disaster under normal circumstances.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I agree with a lot of this other than Wentz

Sorry, I was on a roll. lol

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Can't wait to hear the "I told you so's" in 2035.

I’m sorry I missed this post. It’s perfect. I want to frame it and put it on my wall. lol

 

[WaltonGoggins]

not patting my back too much but I told you so many pages back only for people to say he sucks as a head coach and he won’t finish with a .500 record. Keep checking my messages but no apologies which is fine. With little talent they are in the playoffs the people who said they needed to fire him and won’t finish .500 or above thank god don’t run a football program.
Again I’m not even a Steeler fan just can’t stand horrible clueless takes hope many learned a lesson but not holding my breath.

 

[WaltonGoggins]

I love nicely saying many many many pages back that Tomlin isn’t the reason they weren’t playing as well as you like. I love being told I’m clueless. I love being told they won’t finish .500 so stop saying for 16 seasons he’s never had a losing record. Still following Tomlin and Steelers? Ready to admit you’re wrong and ran off emotions you couldn’t check as I said? Nothing wrong with being completely wrong what’s wrong is not owning up to it. Separates the men from the boys. Carry on

 

[WaltonGoggins]

Tomlin definitely in coach of the year he won’t win it but should be recognized.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

not patting my back too much but I told you so many pages back only for people to say he sucks as a head coach and he won’t finish with a .500 record. Keep checking my messages but no apologies which is fine. With little talent they are in the playoffs the people who said they needed to fire him and won’t finish .500 or above thank god don’t run a football program.
Again I’m not even a Steeler fan just can’t stand horrible clueless takes hope many learned a lesson but not holding my breath.

Uh huh...well just so you know you weren't the only one sticking up for him

I have to be one of the biggest Doubting Thomas types when it comes to Mike Tomlin but if I am being honest, Tomlin has done more to earn my respect in the last 1-2 seasons than the other 8-10 combined. I gave him about as much credit for Pitt winning a SB under him as I did MM in Green Bay but the last couple seasons and his ability to navigate and I think showcase his leadership and forward thinking in acquiring Fitzpatrick which never left the dude's radar from the minute they didn't get him in the Draft, he never took his sights off of him...I say this with respect, Tomlin will eventually be a Front Office Force if he ever decides to run that way. Steelers will have a hard time filling the shoes that filled for Cowher which filled for Noll? I can't think of any other Head Coaches which if you go back to when Noll first was coaching, are really looking at 3 Head Coaches since 1969? I almost gotta sit down when I think about that.

I think Tomlin has proven he is better than most, maybe not as good as some but certainly better than most and that's better than most NFL Head Coches...how many have come and gone since Tomlin was installed as Head Coach for the Steelers? Hundreds? Probably...

That was 2019, and I would like to pat myself on the back


-All jokes aside, the Steelers didn't look very good winning 10 games and most teams want to fly them in for the opening Wildcard Weekend
Kinda bummed Miami didn't draw them.

 

[nightmare]

Mike Tomlin is responsible for the problems. He doesn't get credit for overcoming them.
He is not going to be fired and other teams would hire him in a second but the Steelers
along with the Patriots are AFC dynasties. Fans expect more.

 

[Steelers4Life]

I do find it amusing right now that Tomlin is getting national credit for putting Rudolph in to save the season when it was his fault he didn't play at any point over Trubisky during the 3 game losing streak that almost cost them the playoffs. He failed to recognize who his best option was.

And he gets credit for firing Canada, but he's the one who hired him 2+ years ago and refused to fire him when it was clear he had no business running an NFL offense.

And he gets credit for taking a team without talent to the playoffs when the talent on the team isn't that bad. They won early despite the coaching, not because of it, and his decisions at OC and QB made the talent look worse than it ever actually was.

 

[sm8680]

All I can say is in 17 seasons he's only won a single playoff game or more in just 4 of 17 seasons. I'm hoping he makes it 5 of 17. His first Superbowl was more or less with Cowher's guys. Hasn't won a playoff game since 2016. 22 Teams have won at least 1 playoff game since then. But if the Standard is staying above 500. Then I hope your supporting Tomlin by buying the shirt the Standard is the Standard shirt.

Canada never should have been hired he lacked NFL experience. Mike Tomlin became close with Matt Canada while his son was being recruited by U of Maryland.

 

[Rookiefever]

My two cents worth a penny. Tomlin was extremely lucky to have Big Ben. He was the type of qb that could make a decent oline look good. I know the oline struggles were there with Ben but I can’t recall how much draft capitol tomlin used on it. I’m not so sure he’s going oline in the first this year and I’m sure he’s sold on any qb on the roster. With guys like penix and nix expected to drop a bit which one of these qbs do you think would be best suited to play behind an oline?
Also… I don’t think tomlin is going anywhere. Pretty sure this guy will retire a Steeler he’s a damn good coach and even thought he’s not the best coach there is I think he does a great job overall. He definitely has moments that make me scratch my head but it is what it is.
He needs a tough gunslinging qb for his system. Are there any in this draft outside of Caleb , dark and Jayden?

 

[jon_mx]

My two cents worth a penny. Tomlin was extremely lucky to have Big Ben. He was the type of qb that could make a decent oline look good. I know the oline struggles were there with Ben but I can’t recall how much draft capitol tomlin used on it. I’m not so sure he’s going oline in the first this year and I’m sure he’s sold on any qb on the roster. With guys like penix and nix expected to drop a bit which one of these qbs do you think would be best suited to play behind an oline?
Also… I don’t think tomlin is going anywhere. Pretty sure this guy will retire a Steeler he’s a damn good coach and even thought he’s not the best coach there is I think he does a great job overall. He definitely has moments that make me scratch my head but it is what it is.
He needs a tough gunslinging qb for his system. Are there any in this draft outside of Caleb , dark and Jayden?

Or Ben was lucky to play on teams with consistently had top rated defenses.

 

[Godsbrother]

I've been a Tomlin supporter over the years and my response to anyone making the argument to fire him was "okay fire him but who do you have that is better?". After the Steelers lost to the DTR-led Browns and the 3 consecutive losses to the Cardinals, Pats, and Colts I was pretty much done with him because I thought he lost the team. Three weeks later and here we are in the playoffs. The defense has been decimated through the second half of the season but they somehow got enough out of the group to win.

There is zero doubt in my mind that Tomlin will be offered an extension this off-season and I would say he deserves it. However they still need to get a legit OC and if I were the Steelers I would insist on that. However if Tomlin decides to sit out the season and then move on to another team it will be the end of an era in Pittsburgh.

 

[Rookiefever]

My two cents worth a penny. Tomlin was extremely lucky to have Big Ben. He was the type of qb that could make a decent oline look good. I know the oline struggles were there with Ben but I can’t recall how much draft capitol tomlin used on it. I’m not so sure he’s going oline in the first this year and I’m sure he’s sold on any qb on the roster. With guys like penix and nix expected to drop a bit which one of these qbs do you think would be best suited to play behind an oline?
Also… I don’t think tomlin is going anywhere. Pretty sure this guy will retire a Steeler he’s a damn good coach and even thought he’s not the best coach there is I think he does a great job overall. He definitely has moments that make me scratch my head but it is what it is.
He needs a tough gunslinging qb for his system. Are there any in this draft outside of Caleb , dark and Jayden?

Or Ben was lucky to play on teams with consistently had top rated defenses.

I mean he was but that didn’t have much of an impact on his escapability or willingness to throw 50/50 balls

 

[sm8680]

"okay fire him but who do you have that is better?".

Every coach has a team expiration date. A career expiration date. Vincent Lombardi eventually left Green Bay for Washington. Green Bay survived sure they had a number of rough seasons. Andy Reid left Philly landed in KC. Teams move on coaches move on players move on. Time catches up with all of us. If your seriously asking, who do you have that is better. Look at history or lessons learned. Maybe that was answered in 1969 and later years when Noll proved his worth as a head coach. Cowher in 1992 and eventually proving himself. Tomlin won 1 Superbowl in 17 seasons.

Tom Landry was replaced with Jimmy Johnson first year they have 1 win. Eventually they win 2 Superbowl's and then hire Switzer and get lucky win another Super Bowl and then bounce him.

As a team you either want to be on top so close to winning a Superbowl or the bottom building up draft capital with the hopes of a franchise QB.

The Steelers head coaches have been Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin. A pretty good track record for head coaches. With their track record for head coaches, they could pull the next up and comer and offer him stability. There's no way you're getting a Jim Harbaugh or any other coach that will break the bank. But I'd love to have Harbaugh.

You could easily argue that Tomlin could easily get picked up by Washington or Atlanta. Cowher if he wanted back in would of easily found a home back in the day.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

It's time for Tomlin to go, I think Josh McDaniels would be a great fit as the next Steelers HC

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I've been a Tomlin supporter over the years and my response to anyone making the argument to fire him was "okay fire him but who do you have that is better?". After the Steelers lost to the DTR-led Browns and the 3 consecutive losses to the Cardinals, Pats, and Colts I was pretty much done with him because I thought he lost the team. Three weeks later and here we are in the playoffs. The defense has been decimated through the second half of the season but they somehow got enough out of the group to win.

There is zero doubt in my mind that Tomlin will be offered an extension this off-season and I would say he deserves it. However they still need to get a legit OC and if I were the Steelers I would insist on that. However if Tomlin decides to sit out the season and then move on to another team it will be the end of an era in Pittsburgh.

Good post

-Pittsburgh should try and extend him but this is a situation where I might want to see the Head Coach resign or simply say he would like to try something else with a new team
But Tomlin praises the owners, loves his stature as one of the longest tenured coaches in the NFL with the same team, he's likely gonna be a Hall of Fame Coach
Has anyone discussed this?

-I would think a team with some talent already but floundering would jump thru hoops to bring in Tomlin, most players love him.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Not a Steelers fan. I think Tomlin is a great coach and shouldn't be fired (and obviously won't be). I also think people wrongly make an assumption that, if you're stuck in a rut of mediocrity, your only options are to stay mediocre or else bottom out and rebuild. You can absolutely go from mediocre/good to great in a short time (look at Baltimore).

But if I were a Steelers fan, I would really want to see a recognition from Tomlin of his weaknesses and a desire to fix them. His track record on hiring assistants is abysmal. Truly amazing that the only coordinator of his to get a HC job was Arians, who was a) already established by the time he joined Pittsburgh and b) was fired by Tomlin after a couple years.

If Pittsburgh can bring in a sharp offensive mind and then go out and get a QB who can be the medium/long-term option, they could easily make the leap from perennial 9- or 10-win team to top seed in AFC.

 

[Steeler]

The Steelers head coaches have been Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin. A pretty good track record for head coaches. With their track record for head coaches, they could pull the next up and comer and offer him stability.

This is an excellent answer to "who would they replace him with"... they have a pretty good track record of hiring coaches.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I do find it amusing right now that Tomlin is getting national credit for putting Rudolph in to save the season when it was his fault he didn't play at any point over Trubisky during the 3 game losing streak that almost cost them the playoffs. He failed to recognize who his best option was.

And he gets credit for firing Canada, but he's the one who hired him 2+ years ago and refused to fire him when it was clear he had no business running an NFL offense.

And he gets credit for taking a team without talent to the playoffs when the talent on the team isn't that bad. They won early despite the coaching, not because of it, and his decisions at OC and QB made the talent look worse than it ever actually was.

I think it is more like he gets credit for having players buy into the next man up mentality and still going out there and competing when the entire country gave up on them. Tomlin is even-keeled and honest, so guys show up for him.

 

[sm8680]

I think it is more like he gets credit for having players buy into the next man up mentality and still going out there and competing when the entire country gave up on them. Tomlin is even-keeled and honest, so guys show up for him.

Tony Dungy Reveals Real Reason Mike Tomlin Fired Matt Canada <--- good read on Mike Tomlin being candid. I'd have preferred that the info in the article came out sooner than later. But it gives insights into what was happening.

 

[travdogg]

All 31 other teams would be happy if the Steelers fired Tomlin.

 

[fred_1_15301]

All 31 other teams would be happy if the Steelers fired Tomlin.

Huh? Are you saying every other team would replace their current coach with Tomlin?

 

[travdogg]

All 31 other teams would be happy if the Steelers fired Tomlin.

Huh? Are you saying every other team would replace their current coach with Tomlin?

Goodness no. I'm saying every other team would either replace their current coach with Tomlin, hire Tomlin to fill their vacancy, OR be happy the Steelers fired a guy who hasn't been below .500 in his 17-year run, because odds are any replacement the Steelers got would be a downgrade, or at least highly unlikely to have that level of sustained success.

I don't think Tomlin is getting enough credit for this season. On paper, this team is probably somewhere between 20-25 in talent in the NFL, yet they are in the playoffs. Sure, you could argue a lot broke their way (Joe Burrow's and Aaron Rodgers injuries, basically eliminating 2 contenders for instance) but the bottom line is this was a team most expected to be dead last in their division coming into the season, and they are in the playoffs.

 

[Steelers4Life]

All 31 other teams would be happy if the Steelers fired Tomlin.

Huh? Are you saying every other team would replace their current coach with Tomlin?

Goodness no. I'm saying every other team would either replace their current coach with Tomlin, hire Tomlin to fill their vacancy, OR be happy the Steelers fired a guy who hasn't been below .500 in his 17-year run, because odds are any replacement the Steelers got would be a downgrade, or at least highly unlikely to have that level of sustained success.

I don't think Tomlin is getting enough credit for this season. On paper, this team is probably somewhere between 20-25 in talent in the NFL, yet they are in the playoffs. Sure, you could argue a lot broke their way (Joe Burrow's and Aaron Rodgers injuries, basically eliminating 2 contenders for instance) but the bottom line is this was a team most expected to be dead last in their division coming into the season, and they are in the playoffs.

There's a weird perception out there that the team lacks talent, and that was based largely on the first half. But the only reason that perception exists is because the OC who Tomlin refused to fire and QB who Tomlin refused to bench made the talent look worse than it was, and then Tomlin stuck with Trubisky for a 3 game losing streak that made it look even worse. He kept Broderick Jones on the bench for too long also, and as soon as that changed, the line started playing better.

The talent didn't just get better down the stretch, they finally used the only QB on the roster who could utilize it. Tomlin simply failed to recongize who gave the team the best chance to win. The middle of the AFC is utterly mediocre, and that fits with exactly where teams under Tomlin have finished for quite a while now.

 

[cdclopper]

Bill Belichick started Drew Bledsoe over TB12 for 16 games in 2000. And then the first 2 games of 2001. Does this take away at all from what he accomplished after? Being that he initially failed to recognize who gave his team the best chance to win? No that's crazy.

I have no idea why Tomlin thought to start Pickett and then Trubisky over Mason. But I reckon it's complicated. Take the rumors for what they're worth.

But nearly everybody thought Mason was bad following his first stint. So bad that the team signed another QB to start instead; and then drafted another QB to start instead instead.

After all this, imagine Tomlin saying, 'you know what, I want to start Mason after all'. Twitter would break.

It's now where Tomlin gets criticism no matter what he does.

 

[travdogg]

All 31 other teams would be happy if the Steelers fired Tomlin.

Huh? Are you saying every other team would replace their current coach with Tomlin?

Goodness no. I'm saying every other team would either replace their current coach with Tomlin, hire Tomlin to fill their vacancy, OR be happy the Steelers fired a guy who hasn't been below .500 in his 17-year run, because odds are any replacement the Steelers got would be a downgrade, or at least highly unlikely to have that level of sustained success.

I don't think Tomlin is getting enough credit for this season. On paper, this team is probably somewhere between 20-25 in talent in the NFL, yet they are in the playoffs. Sure, you could argue a lot broke their way (Joe Burrow's and Aaron Rodgers injuries, basically eliminating 2 contenders for instance) but the bottom line is this was a team most expected to be dead last in their division coming into the season, and they are in the playoffs.

There's a weird perception out there that the team lacks talent, and that was based largely on the first half. But the only reason that perception exists is because the OC who Tomlin refused to fire and QB who Tomlin refused to bench made the talent look worse than it was, and then Tomlin stuck with Trubisky for a 3 game losing streak that made it look even worse. He kept Broderick Jones on the bench for too long also, and as soon as that changed, the line started playing better.

The talent didn't just get better down the stretch, they finally used the only QB on the roster who could utilize it. Tomlin simply failed to recongize who gave the team the best chance to win. The middle of the AFC is utterly mediocre, and that fits with exactly where teams under Tomlin have finished for quite a while now.

This might be a slight hot take, but I honestly don't think Mason Rudolph is better than Kenny Pickett. I feel really bad for Pickett that he got hurt right after Canada got fired. Pickett had his best game of the season the week after Canada's firing and then got hurt the next week. I can't help but think he'd have kept showing improvement, and I wonder if Pickett might end up being another Ryan Tannehill.

Having said that, I do think this was supposed to be more of a rebuilding season for the Steelers, and pretty much everyone thought they'd be in last place before the season. Comparing the roster to the rest of the league, factoring in injuries as well, I'd argue:

QB (bad), though much could be blamed on Canada
RB (good)
WR/TE (bad), injuries didn't help
OL (bad), agreed Jones should have been starting week 1.
EDGE (very good)
DT (good)
LB (ok), injuries have hurt here as well
DB (ok)
ST (ok)

Maybe 20th-25th was pushing it, but certainly not a good roster, where playoffs should be the expectation.

 

[Steelers4Life]

All 31 other teams would be happy if the Steelers fired Tomlin.

Huh? Are you saying every other team would replace their current coach with Tomlin?

Goodness no. I'm saying every other team would either replace their current coach with Tomlin, hire Tomlin to fill their vacancy, OR be happy the Steelers fired a guy who hasn't been below .500 in his 17-year run, because odds are any replacement the Steelers got would be a downgrade, or at least highly unlikely to have that level of sustained success.

I don't think Tomlin is getting enough credit for this season. On paper, this team is probably somewhere between 20-25 in talent in the NFL, yet they are in the playoffs. Sure, you could argue a lot broke their way (Joe Burrow's and Aaron Rodgers injuries, basically eliminating 2 contenders for instance) but the bottom line is this was a team most expected to be dead last in their division coming into the season, and they are in the playoffs.

There's a weird perception out there that the team lacks talent, and that was based largely on the first half. But the only reason that perception exists is because the OC who Tomlin refused to fire and QB who Tomlin refused to bench made the talent look worse than it was, and then Tomlin stuck with Trubisky for a 3 game losing streak that made it look even worse. He kept Broderick Jones on the bench for too long also, and as soon as that changed, the line started playing better.

The talent didn't just get better down the stretch, they finally used the only QB on the roster who could utilize it. Tomlin simply failed to recongize who gave the team the best chance to win. The middle of the AFC is utterly mediocre, and that fits with exactly where teams under Tomlin have finished for quite a while now.

This might be a slight hot take, but I honestly don't think Mason Rudolph is better than Kenny Pickett. I feel really bad for Pickett that he got hurt right after Canada got fired. Pickett had his best game of the season the week after Canada's firing and then got hurt the next week. I can't help but think he'd have kept showing improvement, and I wonder if Pickett might end up being another Ryan Tannehill.

Having said that, I do think this was supposed to be more of a rebuilding season for the Steelers, and pretty much everyone thought they'd be in last place before the season. Comparing the roster to the rest of the league, factoring in injuries as well, I'd argue:

QB (bad), though much could be blamed on Canada
RB (good)
WR/TE (bad), injuries didn't help
OL (bad), agreed Jones should have been starting week 1.
EDGE (very good)
DT (good)
LB (ok), injuries have hurt here as well
DB (ok)
ST (ok)

Maybe 20th-25th was pushing it, but certainly not a good roster, where playoffs should be the expectation.

First off, no, Pickett is not as good as Rudolph is as of today. He's simply not, and anyone who watched both of them realizes it. The playcalling under Canada was awful, but Pickett made tons of poor decisions, throwing to the wrong guy and missing open receivers. Rudolph goes through his progressions better, has been more accurate, more aggressive, and has way more pocket presence than Pickett. Pickett's "best game" after Canada was fired resulted in 16 points. Rudolph put up 34 against them a few weeks later.

That said, I don't blame Tomlin for starting Pickett. Hes the presumed franchise guy. And I dont even blame him for going with Trubisky first. But it was crystal clear very quickly that Trubisky was awful. Truly pathetic. He lost the game vs Arizona. He looked terrible vs New England and should've been out by halftime. And then he got the Indy game too? And the entire time, Tomlin was 100% dismissive that he didn't even consider putting Rudolph in after media reports said he had been far and away the best QB in training camp? That's on Tomlin and it almost cost them the playoffs. Its glazed over by the media because of his streak.

I agree with your talent assessments except for WR/TE. Pickens/Johnson/Robinson/Freirmuth is a good group, they just needed a solid QB throwing the ball. And the OL has been very solid since Jones got the nod. That's an above average group who finished where they should have, but it was more of a challenge because of Tomlin's decisions along the way.

He's a good regular season coach. He keeps players motivated, good guy. But there's a reason for his lack of playoff success over the past 13 years and that the Steelers have only won a playoff game in 4 of his seasons as coach, and it's certainly not a lack of talent in Pittsburgh over the past 2 decades.

 

[sm8680]

Here’s some points for consideration:

• The Steelers went undefeated in the preseason. There was a lot of preseason hype around Pickett and the team.
• Steeler's get exposed by the 49'er's week 1.
• Matt Canada will go down as the worst OC in Steelers history. Offense scheme was ridiculed as high schoolish and too easy to read for opposing defenses.
  • The Steelers' offense has struggled through Canada's tenure as offensive coordinator, never eclipsing 400 yards of offense in his 45-game career, including playoffs. The Steelers were the only team in that stretch to not reach 400 yards, while 31 other teams hit that benchmark at least four times each.
• The team lost two games to 2-something teams and then lost to the Colts.
• The local radio station was burying the team for dead as well as lambasting the coaching when the team was 7-7.
• Mike Tomlin gets credit for finally going to Mason. But Mike had no other choice.
• The Steelers had one of the easier schedules in the league and you could state that this was the year of the backup QB.
• The team has a good roster with a few holes.
  • The WR/TE position is not bad, but George Pickens is a great player when fed the ball and happy.
    • D Johnson is a good WR but overpaid. Pat F might as well be a WR for he can’t block. But his backup Darnell Washington has all the potential in the world.
  • The OL has 2 glaring holes Center and Left Tackle. Chuks can't be worse than Dan Moore.
  • QB Pickett and Mitch were bad.
  • Defense currently has injuries or guys coming back from injuries.
• Steelers rookies should have been playing a lot sooner.

Regarding Mike Tomlin, if your favorite team is the Patriots, you would want the Steelers to keep him for Bill’s record against Mike is 13-3. However, if your favorite team was in his division, then you might want Tomlin on another team. For he’s won the division 7 out of 17 seasons. But keep in mind Cincy and Cleveland seem to have recently found their way. We are hoping the Steelers win against the Bills. If they win, it’s their 5th season of 1 playoff win or more in 17 seasons. If your team is playing in the playoffs lately there's a good chance Steelers would not have played in the playoffs or would have lost to your team.

Mike was hired in 2007. He inherited a playoff contending team with a franchise QB. 2008 he wins a Superbowl with Cowher's guys. Last Superbowl appearance 2010. Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016. Look at the first half of Tomlin's coaching career looking at the back half. There's a good chance if you focus on the back half and Tomlin was your favorite team's head coach that you'd want the ownership to move on. Steeler fans expect more. Can't condemn fans for wanting more.

 

[Steelers4Life]

Look at the first half of Tomlin's coaching career looking at the back half. There's a good chance if you focus on the back half and Tomlin was your favorite team's head coach that you'd want the ownership to move on. Steeler fans expect more. Can't condemn fans for wanting more.

It's not the front half vs the back half
It's the first 4 years vs the last 13 years

The Steelers win a Super Bowl in 2005, Ben has his motorcycle accident in 2006, and Tomlin takes over in 2007.

First 4 years:
Made the playoffs 3 times (75%)
Won a playoff game in 2 seasons (50%)
5-2 in the playoffs, 1 SB win, 1 SB loss

January, 2011, the Steelers lose to Tim Tebow in the Wild Card round and nothing has been the same since.

Last 13 years
Made the playoffs 8 times (61%, if you count making it as a 7th seed)
Won a playoff game in 2 seasons (15%)
3-7 in the playoffs with no quality wins and a few really, really embarassing losses

If you take away his name, does that kind of playoff success really warrant the reputation he has? Is it really that crazy to question whether or not someone else could've walked into a dream situation, won for a few years, and then performed just as well since then given the level of talent the Steelers have had for the past 2 decades?

I get it, he's never had a losing regular season. Congratulations to him. But that's not supposed to be the standard in Pittsburgh. It is now because Tomlin has lowered it. Noll's longest stretch without WINNING a playoff game was 4 years, and that counts the 1980's. Cowher's longest stretch without a playoff WIN was 3 years despite not having Ben until his 2nd to last year.

 

[sm8680]

Steelers4Life thanks for saying it better than me.