The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves at 8-8 with one week to go in the NFL season. It wasn’t an easy road, and it has come with significant criticism of the coaching staff, specifically Matt Canada and Mike Tomlin. At one point this season, Steelers fans had buried both of them after Canada survived the bye week. The team seemed ill-prepared to compete, never mind contend with a defense missing T.J. Watt and a rookie quarterback.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 1st, 2023 / Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
It was a five-alarm fire and something many younger Steelers fans haven’t seen, a losing version of the black and gold. When it would have been reasonable to try something new midseason on offense, Tomlin resisted the temptation. He insisted Kenny Pickett was growing every week and that it was just a matter of time until it translated into victories. It was heavily criticized and even the kindest Tomlin critic insisted on a purge of the coaching staff at the end of the season, with only Tomlin remaining.
What many critics of Tomlin missed, myself included, was that the head coach decided to stay with the devil you know and design game plans accordingly. The Steelers offense was good at long drives that didn’t necessarily result in touchdowns, and with Chris Boswell’s recent struggles, points at all. Tomlin had to adjust, and he did.
The offense before the bye week averaged 15 points per game and the team was 2-6. The rookie Pickett turned the ball over eight times. After the critical bye week adjustments, they are averaging 20 points per game, Pickett has turned the ball over once and they are 6-2. The offense wanted to be run-reliant in the first half of the season but couldn’t. In the second half of the season, they are run-reliant, and it has paid off.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Head Coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers walked off the field prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on October 09, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
Tomlin’s impact can best be felt on the defensive side of the ball. Before the bye and without Watt, the Steelers were giving up nearly 25 points per game and were nowhere near the elite unit that Pittsburgh was paying for. When Watt returned, the Steelers improved but were still susceptible to the run. After a narrow loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they gave up over 200 yards rushing, Tomlin put the team back into full padded practices to toughen up both sides of the ball.
It worked. The defense is now giving up just under 17 points per game and if you take out the 37 points that the Cincinnati Bengals scored they are giving up just 15 points per game, which is an important part of the equation. Instead of disrupting his rookie quarterback with a new coordinator, Tomlin figured out how he was going to hold teams to 15 points and win close games. The Steelers have played seven consecutive one-score games and are 5-2 with two consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks by Pickett.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post Gazette (AP)
Tomlin got his team to play more physically and has returned to stuffing the run against the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens in the second half on Sunday night. Tomlin even broke out the 6-2 high school defense designed to stuff the run against the Ravens, and they traded a huge night for Mark Andrews to stop the Baltimore rushing attack.
Tomlin, who has had his hands all over the defense since Dick LeBeau retired, deserves significant credit for adjusting specifically to stop the Ravens. This week he may be facing the best 1-2 rushing combination in the league with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Deshaun Watson has struggled as a passer since his return but he is a threat to run and at some point, you have to bet that Watson will regain his passing touch.
Watson will be the first above-average quarterback the Steelers have played since Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and it will be fascinating to see what adjustments the Steelers make to take away the run and the pass against the Browns. If Tomlin slows the Browns' attack and finds a way to finish 9-8 after going 2-6, it is not a meaningless accomplishment. Changes still have to be made on the offensive side of the ball, because you are not going to beat the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills 20-17. Tomlin has earned the right to manage the changes, again.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Do you think Tomlin deserves credit for his adjustments? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq
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