Steelers' Mike Tomlin May Be Key Factor To Terrible Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers had their worst offensive showing in years with their Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. Their lone made field goal came from a drive that started in opponent territory, and their only touchdown was in garbage time towards the end of the game. Outside of practically being gifted points, they had almost no ability to move the ball down the field. They even gave up points with a sack in the end zone for a safety in the first quarter. 

During his weekly Q&A chat, Brian Batko was asked about why Head Coach Mike Tomlin keeps tolerating these poor offensive schemes and performances. He explained it by revealing the true issue with that side of the ball. 

"Tolerate? Mike Tomlin sets the philosophy of what he wants offensively. He's the head coach," Batko said. "And to be honest, I'm not even sure I have that much of an issue with Arthur Smith last night. Guys were open at times, schemed open, and Rodgers was missing the throw or missing the read."

It goes without saying that the players were awful in that contest, but Tomlin having that kind of control of the offense is what's so controversial. It has already been revealed that he handcuffed Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith at times during the 2024 season, and that season ended in disaster. It is very possible that he is doing that again, even though Smith is one of the better coordinators in the NFL. 

There are some good qualities with Tomlin. Many fans don't believe X's and O's are one of them. On top of that, he is a defensive minded coach, as opposed to an offensive one. Him dictating the philosophy of the offense has caused turmoil within the team and fan base, whether it's Smith or Matt Canada running the unit. With all that said, the head coach is not tolerating bad offenses; he is leading them.

Smith was hired because his overall vision lines up with Tomlin's and the organization overall. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was partially signed because of his high football IQ. Despite all that, limitations are still set by a man that is not as experienced with that area of play at the NFL level. That is how it has been for many years, and it's tiresome to see the offense waste the defensive potential every year, especially in a season when the defense has not been particularly great.

Steelers' Play-Calling Has Done Well Despite Limitations

Batko also mentioned that Smith did his job well, but the players did not execute well against the Chargers. Rodgers was especially bad, as he kept overthrowing wide open players and holding onto the ball for too long. However, there are still plenty of concerns with some of the decisions that came from the sidelines, whether it was Tomlin, his play-caller, or both. 

The main one was about running back Jaylen Warren. He was arguably the only player on offense doing well, as he had 16 touches for 91 yards. Despite that, Tomlin made excuses for why the offense did not run the ball more. That still does not explain why he had fewer snaps than backup Kenneth Gainwell, who did not get a single carry. Overall, everything was terrible in Week 10, and it starts with the head coach. 

What do you think about Tomlin having as much control as he does with the offense? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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