Hall Of Fame Wide Receiver Thinks Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Will "Inch By" To Avoid His First Losing Season In 2022

There is zero doubt that the Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2022 NFL season with some question marks. That happens every year, but most years, at least for the Steelers, it isn't who will be the team's starting quarterback?

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks, Kenny Pickett (#8) and Mitch Trubisky (#10). | Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)

To say there is a 'mixed bag' when listening to people around the NFL talk about the Steelers 2022 outcome is a major understatement. Depending on who you listen to, you will hear people claim the Steelers will have a top 10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, all the way to some even expressing belief in them being Super Bowl contenders.

Steelers And Mike Tomlin Have Never Had A Losing Season Together

One person who believes the Steelers and their head coach Mike Tomlin will yet again have a winning season, is Hall Of Fame wide receiver, Michael Irvin. On the ESPN talk show First Take, Irvin expressed his thoughts on the Steelers 2022 outcome on Monday morning:

"I believe honestly, that they're better at quarterback right now... [These coaches] Want to see what they look like without that guy, that has been there all these years running the organization. Mike Tomlin now gets to put his defense, really on the front street, and have an offense do what I need you to do. Ben Roethlisberger wasn't going to listen, he was going to try and win games and win them the way he wanted to win them. This group will listen, and I said Mike T will inch by again, he will inch by again. Won't win the division, but he will inch by and not have a losing season."

A clip from the episode can be found from the show's official Twitter page below:

Now, Irvin's finish to his statement isn't exactly a glowing compliment, or some huge endorsement for the Steelers this season.

Tomlin is one of the most respected coaches around the league, and this appears to be yet another example of that with Irvin's comments. In addition to that, he points to the fact that Tomlin is going to be leaning on his defense more than he ever has. A defense that should be up to the challenge.

The Steelers have always been known for their defense, and that is something they have embraced for the majority of their existence. For the last decade or so, which is a large part of Tomlin's tenure with the team, the Steelers offense was actually the unit getting all the attention.

When you have a future Hall Of Fame QB like Ben Roethlisberger on your team, it is hard not to put a lot of focus and emphasis on that side of the ball. However, that recipe didn't lead to the ultimate goal, which is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.

In the years where the offense was at their peak, the defense has fallen flat, which is basically a sin in the eyes of Steeler Nation.

When the defense returned to their standard (high) level of play, the offense weren't quite up to par. A large part of this was due to the season-ending elbow injury to Roethlisberger in 2019, and a lack of investment in an offensive line which was aging. That led to a dink and dunk offense in 2020 and 2021.

Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, and the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt (#90). | Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)

Now, fast forward to 2022. The defense has the potential to be elite yet again while being led by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt. There was evidence of that in Week 3 of the preseason against the Detroit Lions. The offense has a slew of young play makers across all the skill positions. The offensive line is young and has a couple new faces this year, along with a new offensive line coach with a healthy track record.

Pairing all of that with a trio of quarterbacks with experience and upside, and you have a team that very few coaches will want to see come playoff time.

This team is going to take some time to gel, especially on the offensive end. However, if they manage to stay relatively healthy, this a team might just need to "inch by" until playoff time.

What do you think of Irvin's comments about Tomlin being able to "inch by" this season? Let us know below in the comments!

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