Zealous Defense Of Steelers' Mike Tomlin By Media Seriously Damaged After Sean Payton Firestorm

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very informative month regarding Mike Tomlin. The calls from Steeler Nation for Tomlin's scalp grew to a fever pitch just one week ago. The Steelers had dropped four of five games to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Kyler Murray, Bailey Zappe, and Gardner Minshew. Jake Browning, the Cincinnati Bengals, and Mason Rudolph came to Tomlin's rescue by sandwiching a season sweep among some of the worst losses in his career.

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The Steelers managed to go from six wins in nine games, to eight wins in 15 games by massively underperforming during that stretch. It was so bad that Rich Eisen, one of the biggest Tomlin sycophants, had to acknowledge the issue when he was forced to watch the Steelers up close in the Indianapolis Colts game. An acknowledgment he quickly retracted after Tomlin completed a sweep of the Bengals two days before Christmas.

Eisen was not the only Tomlin ally who dared to question the Steelers' head coach. Some national media members like Jay Glazer suggested that parting ways and trading Tomlin to a team like the Washington Commanders could be a solution for both parties. The wins against the Bengals and then Seattle Seahawks have quelled the nationwide talk about Tomlin, but something very interesting happened in the NFL recently. Sean Payton benched Russell Wilson, and the genuflection from national voices has been in a word perplexing.

“His behavior as a head coach as it pertains to the quarterback is unacceptable,” Ryan Clark said on First Take. “If it was anybody other than Sean Payton, we would be pointing that out. What has Sean Payton done that is so exceedingly great he is above treating people with professionalism. He won one [Super Bowl] the last time I checked. He’s been to one the last time I checked. He’s had losing seasons. His behavior as a head coach got him suspended for a year. You ain’t no boy scout.”

Payton cut his teeth as a quarterbacks coach under Jon Gruden and landed the offensive coordinator job with the New York Giants in 2000. He would distinguish himself as a Super Bowl coordinator leading up to Super Bowl XXXV. Payton left the Giants to join the Dallas Cowboys and Bill Parcells as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. After three years of success, he was hired by the New Orleans Saints, who he coached for 15 seasons. He led New Orleans to a 152-89 record and one Super Bowl XLIV.

Ryan Clark's reference to Payton only winning one Super Bowl is a curious talking point compared to the Tomlin situation. Payton and Tomlin both have one Super Bowl title. Payton is a brilliant tactician who resurrected Drew Brees's career after the Los Angeles Chargers allowed him to leave in free agency. Tomlin's legacy is built on the perception he is a great leader of men. He has successfully led the Steelers organization into a morass of mediocrity.

“Sean Payton came in and for a guy who has won one Super Bowl and basically is Mike McCarthy in better shape,” Rob Parker blasted Payton on The Odd Couple. “What’s the difference between Mike McCarthy and him? Everybody makes out McCarthy like he’s a buffoon and Sean Payton invented football. They both had Hall of Fame quarterbacks and won one Super Bowl Championship, but Mike McCarthy never went 7-9 three years in a row with a Hall of Fame quarterback.”

Payton has nine wins in 17 playoff games versus Tomlin's eight wins in 17 playoff games. Payton won his division seven times in 15 seasons, while Tomlin has won the AFC North seven times in 17 seasons. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs 10 times under Tomlin. They have won a playoff game in just four of those 10 appearances. Tomlin is on a seven-year, four-game losing streak in the postseason. New Orleans made the postseason nine times under Payton and won at least one playoff game in seven appearances.

A common theme has emerged since the news of Wilson's benching drew the ire of the talking heads on the debate shows. Payton is being ripped for one Super Bowl championship and having losing seasons. If Tomlin is replaced in Pittsburgh, this is the playbook that they plan to use to defend him. Two Super Bowl appearances and never having a losing season. 

It is somehow okay for Tomlin to hire substandard coaches, deplore poor schemes, and lead the Steelers into the longest playoff win drought in the Super Bowl era as long as he finishes 9-8. Head coaches should be measured by playoff success, and compared to Payton, he comes up short. Rob Parker, Clark, and a bevy of other talking heads are well aware of this. They are perfectly willing to overlook the Steelers' last decade because they like Tomlin. 

The same talking points they are using to rip Payton were missing in the evaluation of Tomlin. The question is, why? Did Tomlin cultivate the national media to protect his job? The criticism has steadily mounted in each passing year since the last playoff victory in Pittsburgh. Will the criticism of Payton's record resonate with Art Rooney II and force him to reevaluate his underachieving coach? It should. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Did the criticism of Payton's coaching record force you to question Tomlin's? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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