The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills hoping to bounce back from a disappointing performance in the opener against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, things didn't improve; in fact, they got worse. Despite playing both new quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, throughout the game, the Steelers managed to score only three points. While it’s just preseason, the execution was alarmingly poor.
AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar
Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields talk while they get warmed up for camp.
For Steeler Nation, it was the first chance to see Wilson in action. He completed 80% of his passes for 47 yards, but the offense struggled to move the chains and stalled repeatedly. It felt reminiscent of his struggles with the Denver Broncos, though many analysts aren’t placing the blame solely on Wilson.
Fields showed flashes of excitement, but couldn’t lead a touchdown drive. He went 11-of-17 for 92 yards and rushed eight times for 42 yards, leading the team in rushing. Despite several opportunities to drive the offense downfield, Fields was unable to score against the Bills' JV defense. It was an all-around disappointing performance by the entire team.
It's OK to be critical of Mike Tomlin:
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 19, 2024
"We're running Andy Reid out of Philly, Pete Carroll out of the NFL and Belichick out of New England." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/14J6jorpOA
Sports media personality Colin Cowherd didn’t hold back in his critique. On his show The Herd, Cowherd spent three minutes blasting Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin for both the preseason performance and past shortcomings.
"So let's start with the Steelers, good God are they awful offensively again. So listen if Belichick can get fired. If Andy Reid can get fired [by Philadelphia] and Pete Carroll can get fired. I know he got an extension, but we can be critical of Mike Tomlin. I mean Russell Wilson had five drives and one first down."
Cowherd didn't have many nice sentiments to state about Pittsburgh and Tomlin.
"Pass protection was awful. He and Justin Fields, and they are mobile, 10 quarterback hits and four sacks. These guys run well. They can't run the football and they've tried that the last several years. Last year, middle of the pack. In the last five years Pittsburgh is 30th in total yards per game, below Carolina. They are below dysfunctional teams like the Raiders and Washington. Only the Jets and Giants are worse and it doesn't matter if it's old Big Ben, young Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, it doesn't matter, and now these guys."
Cowherd began by discussing other teams with similar yards-per-game statistics as the Steelers. He was puzzled because those teams have their own organizational issues, whereas Pittsburgh doesn’t face those same problems.
AP
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks displeased while speaking to the Pittsburgh media.
This led him to conclude that it’s reasonable to place the blame on Tomlin. Cowherd, once again, didn't hold back.
"Pittsburgh doesn't. Pittsburgh drafts well, really well and they develop well. They have excellent ownership. They are not the biggest spenders, but they are not cheap. Yet, defensively, they are always elite, yet they are completely utterly inept on one side of the ball. That's on the head coach. He's run through coordinators. He's run through quarterbacks. That's on Mike Tomlin. They are awful."
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Under Intense Pressure
It’s no secret that Tomlin is under intense pressure to win back the entire fan base. While he still has many supporters and dedicated fans, the truth is that people are frustrated by the team's lack of Super Bowl contention as of late. In his 17 seasons as the Steelers' head coach, Tomlin has never had a losing record—a remarkable achievement—but it doesn’t alleviate the disappointment of not winning a playoff game since the 2016 season.
Tomlin recently signed a three-year extension, ensuring he’s staying put. For fans to give him some breathing room, he’ll need to secure a playoff win in the 2024 season. Cowherd's critique of Tomlin has some merit, but claiming he's cycled through quarterbacks excessively is a significant exaggeration.
Getty Image
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin yells during a game in Pittsburgh.
While Tomlin may not deserve significant blame at this current stage, given the new system and personnel he’s working with, patience will be essential. As the head of the team, Tomlin acknowledges this responsibility and is ready to take the heat. He’ll enter the 2024 season determined to prove critics like Cowherd wrong and regain the fan base’s support by playing meaningful football well into the winter.
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