Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Has Unique Opportunity In 2023 To Alter His Reputation As A Tactician

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been part of the NFL since its inception. They spent the first 39 years of their existence in relative anonymity only appearing in one playoff game. The Steelers’ first postseason touchdown was the Immaculate Reception which catapulted them from the laughingstock of the league to the gold standard of the NFL for the last 50 years.

Since Franco Harris caught the pass that led to the Steelers’ first playoff victory in 1972, they have only had seven losing seasons. The Steelers’ worst record in that stretch was 5-11 in 1988 under Chuck Noll which resulted in the purge of most of the coaching staff and a deal between Dan Rooney and Noll that he would retire at the end of his contract in 1991. The Hall of Fame coach retired with four Lombardi trophies, but four of his final seven seasons saw the Steelers finish below .500.

Steelers fans are often accused of living in the past and with the rich history of the 1970's Steelers teams, and it is easy to get caught up in the lore of Steelers past. This is a different era and Pittsburgh is starting to celebrate the golden anniversaries of those achievements. What is easily overlooked by the national media and the endless debate shows is that 23 seasons have been played in the new millennium and the Steelers have had only one losing season this century.

The 2003 Steelers were 6-10 and it resulted in the arrival of Ben Roethlisberger and they have been no worse than 8-8 since. The organization is 235-132-3 since Y2K and has appeared in three Super Bowls with two championships. The 235 wins are good enough for second in the NFL trailing only the New England Patriots who have 262 wins during the same period. The Patriots have six Super Bowl victories this century, but the Steelers are one of the five teams tied with two championships during this period.

Despite being second in victories this century, the Steelers have only made the playoffs 14 times in 23 seasons. They are tied with the Baltimore Ravens for fourth on the list of playoff appearances during the period but the 15 playoff victories for the black and gold trail the Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles 16 victories and are half of the 30 wins posted by the Patriots.

Steelers 2023 Mission On Defense Is To Become Less Reliant On TJ Watt To Produce Results

The sheer numbers don’t tell the full story, Pittsburgh has a dirty little secret that rarely gets mentioned when the annual Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season stories begin. The Steelers have only made the playoffs three times since TJ Watt joined the team and have not won a playoff game in seven years. Since they lost Super Bowl XLV, they are 3-7 in the playoffs and the only appearance in a conference championship game in 2016 kicked off a now four-game losing streak in the playoffs after a 36-17 blowout loss to the Patriots.

It is easy to blame Tomlin for the recent struggles if you follow the team closely. He is the head coach, and the buck stops with him, but should it? 

Tomlin is known as an excellent communicator and motivator who puts his faith in his players to perform better than their opponents. The coaching schemes have become more and more simplified with each passing season to the point that they are now running a college offense. What used to be the most complicated defensive scheme in the NFL is now almost completely reliant on Watt’s presence to be effective.

Tomlin’s reliance on his players was evident from day one of his tenure and his first five seasons were wildly successful, but the NFL started changing and the Steelers have not. Player safety initiatives took the physicality out of football, and it is not a coincidence that Tomlin and his teams have struggled ever since. The new NFL despite reports to the contrary is highly reliant on offensive schemes. Andy Reid has risen to the top of the mountain because he is the best tactician in the league.

Roethlisberger was a great improvisational quarterback that was good enough to cover any scheme warts during the regular season, but he suffered for it in the playoffs. Kenny Pickett demonstrated his improvisational skills during the second half of his rookie season and is primed to make an impressive jump in his second season if he continues the current trajectory. The Steelers have a great chance to return to the playoffs with Pickett, but if they want to start winning postseason games, scheme matters, and talent won’t be enough.

Pittsburgh has had superior talent for decades; they are good at drafting and developing players. Noll was a brilliant tactician; Cowher oversaw the evolution into the Blitzburgh defense and now it is Tomlin’s turn to innovate. Unlike his predecessors, he does not have a unique stamp on offense or defense, and he inherited Roethlisberger and Dick Lebeau, so he did not have to have one.

They are both long gone, but Tomlin is not. After 16 seasons, he has the opportunity to prove he is more than just a motivator and communicator. If the Steelers are going to win playoff games, he has to be an innovator, the question is after nearly two decades at the helm, can he?

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is Tomlin up to the challenge of winning playoff games? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.