Steelers Have A Whole New Mike Tomlin And That Change Is The "Big Key" To Beating The Ravens In Week 11

The Pittsburgh Steelers have pulled off a start to the 2024 season that few expected. The person who seems to deserve the bulk of the credit for that success is Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Since Tomlin is in his 18th season with the team, most fans feel they know him well, and Tomlin has become a polarizing figure in Pittsburgh. He is frequently criticized for his decision-making. Like the franchise, Tomlin is accused of remaining loyal or keeping coaches he shouldn't, failing to hire adequate assistant coaches, and being aggressive at all the wrong times. Fans ridicule his inability to know when to throw or not throw the challenge flag and for never seeming to go for it or not go for it on the right fourth down. However, this season, he made a decision that made his critics eat their words, starting quarterback Russell Wilson. 

When Tomlin benched Justin Fields for Wilson, fans were outraged, and the media ridiculed him, saying he was throwing away the season. Almost immediately, Wilson proved the doubters wrong. He won his first three games in black and gold, and his former detractors called the Steelers a legitimate Super Bowl contender after his Week 10 comeback win over the Washington Commanders. 

This season has gradually revealed a Tomlin many don't recognize, including longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show. Kaboly recently joined Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show. They talked about the decision to receive, the fake punt attempts early in the game, and the hard count that led to Washington jumping offsides and giving Pittsburgh the win. They remarked how unusual it was for Tomlin to be so aggressive.  

"Boy, he's changed, huh," asked a bemused Kaboly. "He's letting it all hang out, which is good. I call him like George Costanza right now, doing everything the opposite of what he normally did. This is the big key coming up now. Because he normally holds it close to the vest in Baltimore. Now, if he lets it go there, then we got a new Mike Tomlin on our hands."

George Costanza is a character from the show Seinfeld. In the show, he realizes that every decision he makes leads to failure, so he decides to do the opposite of whatever he thinks is right, which he surmises can only lead to success. 

Kaboly believes that the Baltimore Ravens and their head coach, John Harbaugh, will be a huge test for Tomlin and the Steelers. Kaboly said Tomlin tends to be more conservative in these games. He wants to run the ball and hopes to have a superior defense. However, he believes the Steelers must take advantage of Baltimore's weak secondary and throw the ball because they "want to, not because they have to." If they do that, contrary to usual Tomlin, he believes it might cause Harbaugh to outthink himself, as he's done in the past, because he won't expect Tomlin to be aggressive.  

Steelers Will Try The Fake Punt Again

It is the reality of football. If a risky decision works, the coach is a genius; if it doesn't, he should be fired. Coaches all over the league take risks that don't pay off. The Detroit Lions and Dan Campbell in the NFC Championship are great examples. Campbell had been applauded for his aggressiveness all season until they failed to convert fourth downs against the San Francisco 49ers and lost that game last season. 

While plenty of Steelers fans were angry about most of the decisions, like the fake punt, and the decision to receive the ball at the beginning of the game, Tomlin said he would do it again after the contest ended. Kaboly applauded that. He said they always practice the fake punt, and James Pierre always makes the catch. Sometimes, things just don't go your way in football. However, Tomlin's new-found aggressive play-calling should become the new normal. 

Do you think this is a new Tomlin? Do you want it to be? Click to comment below. 

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