Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers' consistency in accumulating winning seasons, the heat only continues to mount given their underwhelming playoff track record in recent years. Head Coach Mike Tomlin, whose never had a losing record to finish a season, is now under some serious pressure considering the current state of the team. After losing two pivotal games at home versus the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, the path at the end of the tunnel has become a little bit more clear on what may or may not happen down the stretch.
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In the days that followed two consecutive games defined by bad all-around football and coaching, fans and media started to speak out. Former players started to express skepticism and genuinely question whether Tomlin's safe from his seat getting truly warm. Trai Essex, the former Steelers offensive lineman, had this to say regarding Tomlin's job security.
"I do think there's a chance they look elsewhere if it continues to look like it did the last two games. I truly do. Because that's just really, really bad football. And if we get four more games of that, I don't know if Tomlin could survive that type of decline at this point in the season when we were 7-4."
Essex's words should send chills down everyone's spine. His point stands true against the test of time, proving no NFL head coach is safe after losing six straight games to end a season. To make matters worse, Tomlin has not won a playoff game in almost seven years to this point while racking up .500 or better regular season performances. Losing your remaining four games will more than likely be enough to force the Rooney family into action.
We're through almost 75% of the season now, and it's almost as if Pittsburgh is on the downward trend when you should be hitting your stride at the right time. On that same note, Kenny Pickett has yet to throw for 300 yards or three touchdowns in a single game this year. As a head coach, you're expected to help your second-year quarterback take the next step in his development as a starter in year two, but that hasn't happened one bit in 2023. It's not a good look when your coaching in this position regresses, further proving there is still a problem under center that needs to be addressed.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett (#8) throws to Pat Freiermuth (#88) in the middle of the field in Cincinnati, OH.
Standing pat at 7-6, good football teams don't slide in the second half of the season, especially with the talent Pittsburgh has. There have been many good players who have come and gone in the past eight years, and yet they have just 3 playoff wins to show for it. Continuing to reel after a surprisingly decent start given its horrific offense is no way to survive in the wilderness.
"Like on the other side, when you started out 2-6 and you're improving into the offseason, you got some hope that things will turnaround. But when you're losing it, and losing the way that we've lost with the type of product on the field and it continues to slide towards the end of the season, I don't think he can survive that to be truthfully honest," Essex continued.
Historically speaking, Pittsburgh has usually been stronger in December, when 32 NFL teams' fates are most determined. They play their best ball when all three aspects of the game are zeroed in on. But when you boast one of the worst offenses, a defense that gives up far too many yards, and a special teams unit that ranks near the bottom in average yards per punt, you're left with an ugly mess that outweighs any winning record. It's amazing that they even hold such a record in the first place, considering all that has gone wrong from the beginning.
Can The Steelers Manage To Win At Least Two More Games?
The upcoming schedule doesn't get any easier, as the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens all pose serious threats to the Steelers' playoff chances, and are in the thick of the playoff race in their respective conferences. The expectations to win anything in the postseason are probably very low, but Pittsburgh would be better off making it into the big dance and having a chance, versus sitting at home and pondering all that went wrong.
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Steelers' Najee Harris breaks tackles against the Indianapolis Colts during a Monday night game in 2022.
Mitch Trubisky will be counted as the starter on the road in Week 15, but his leash could be short. Veteran Mason Rudolph may be thrown into the fire as a result. There is no room for error right now, and any mistake could prove to be costly at any given moment. Neither quarterback has a very high ceiling, but whoever can provide the team with the best chance to win and do just enough to avoid the bad breaks, must be the starter. Effectively running the ball, force-feeding your top wideouts, stopping the run, and creating turnovers on defense will be the Steelers' recipe for success for the remaining games.
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