It's hard to argue the success that Pittsburgh Steelers head football coach, Mike Tomlin has had since taking over the team in 2007. It goes without saying, his string of 15 straight non-losing seasons is unmatched in NFL history, with just three campaigns of 8-8 seasons during that run, winning seven division titles and 10 playoff appearances. It's quite remarkable.
But you can only say that for so long and expect it to hold water when it comes to what really counts in terms of wins and losses and that number is the one you start tracking in January, that being playoff wins.
With all the success he's had during the regular season, Tomlin's rather tepid 8-9 mark in the post-season is very average and that's being kind. The real truth is this: it should be much better. But it's not. The real question is why?
The Harsh Reality Is Change For Tomlin Is Hard To Come By
Keith Srakocic / The Associated Press
When you win like Tomlin did in your first five years, it's pretty certain you can call the shots on how things run. I get it. That's the way things work. When you are successful, you run the ship how you see fit. And for an organization that prides itself on coaching stability, one that has had the fewest head football coaches by far over the past 52 seasons, Mike Tomlin has not had to face the heat or challenge from ownership on making major changes in order to remain competitive.
But since 2010 when the team lost to Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, you can clearly see the cracks in the armor of Tomlin's battle gear starting to show. In 2011 after a 12-4 regular season, the club was forced to travel west to Denver in the Wild Card round. The Broncos were 8-8 and got the home game because they won the AFC West. This was the Steelers punishment for losing both regular season games to the Baltimore Ravens, who also finished 2011 with a 12-4 mark.
Enter Tim Tebow... and the rest is history.
Demaryius Thomas will always be a @Broncos legend.
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) October 30, 2018
(Jan. 8, 2012) @TimTebow @DemaryiusT pic.twitter.com/2KXnXwlf7i
What makes this loss so hard to swallow was not necessarily how it ended, but the fact that the Steelers defense that season was maybe the best it had been since the 1970's gang. In 2011, the Steelers defense allowed the fewest points, passing yards, and total yards of all NFL teams. They had seven Pro Bowl players.
And it meant zero in the end.
The team would follow up that disappointment with back-to-back 8-8 seasons before a four-year playoff run that saw a pair of one and done's sandwiching divisional and AFC Championship losses to a pair of eventual Lombardi winners in Denver and New England. What's worse is that in the team's last four playoff defeats, they've lost by an average of over 14 points per game, none of them really close at all.
Postseason Struggles Harsh On Tomlin's Regular Season Efforts
Nov 10, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay (left) talks with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin before the game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
So what can be done? What needs to be done? When should action be taken? This is where Tomlin has been slow to react. We've detailed his issues with everything from clock management, to using timeouts and of course the biggest one, when to challenge plays. All of those can fall in the analytics category, of which Tomlin has been slow to embrace. Last year Tomlin, at the behest of the front office, interviewed several people to work with him on this, but eventually nothing happened.
How about acting now? As in, stop waiting for the end of the season and start making changes with the obvious one: his offensive coordinator. And before you stop and say he's never done this before and making a temporary move is not a solution, I can assure you of this... Keeping Matt Canada as your OC when you can all but guarantee he won't be your OC after the season ends is nuts. It's just an excuse to not put Kenny Pickett and the rest of this offense through hell when most of the players in that locker room are already open about how they feel in regards to the man calling plays.
The truth is Matt Canada needs to go and now. If you can't make this move today, then at the beginning of the bye week, the Monday after the Philadelphia Eagles game. No later. You cannot continue to say on one hand 'all options are open' like Tomlin did after the blowout loss at Buffalo and then change nothing!
The team should be 1-6, but got a spark from Mitch Trubisky in the Tampa Bay upset win when he came off the bench in the second half after Pickett's injury. But Sunday night in Miami, this team was dreadful on offense, producing zero second half points. They began the second half with five, count 'em, five straight drives that ended in punts. Zero points scored in the final 30 minutes. Three drives of 3 and out, one lasted four plays, another just five before a punt. It's just got to end and now.
Change Is Needed Now Before Things Get Absolutely Worse For Steelers, Tomlin
Photo Credit - Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin needs to be told by Omar Kahn and by Art Rooney II. They have a duty to do this in an effort to get Tomlin moving in the right direction. If those who are above him urge that Canada needs to be replaced and now, Tomlin will act.
As for Kenny Pickett, he will be fine. He did not play well Sunday with three interceptions in the loss. The defensive backs dropped four interceptions. The offense took several key penalties at the wrong time, halting promising drives. It's not just on him, but Pickett will have some struggles to start his career. Overall, I think the overreaction to his play is as usual, unwarranted.
Mike Tomlin must move on Canada after the team plays the Eagles. Take the time during the bye week to get a plan in place before the players revolt. Do this now so that this team can salvage something from the smoldering dumpster fire of a season so far.
Tell us how you feel, Steelers fans.
#SteelerNation
