The Pittsburgh Steelers and Head Coach Mike Tomlin suffered arguably one of the most embarrassing losses in over a decade last week against the Houston Texans. They were outcoached and outperformed in Week 4 and fell to a rebuilding Texans team, 30-6. There has been a lot of scrutiny regarding the Steelers coaching staff, most notably Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. Canada has struggled mightily at play-calling ever since he took the job over in 2021, which was Ben Roethlisberger's last season as the Steelers' quarterback.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada during the 2021 season.
The Steelers offense over the course of the first four weeks of the season has only averaged 15.5 points per game, which is even less than what they averaged last season (18.1 points per game). After the embarrassing loss in Houston last week, Canada wasn't the only member of the coaching staff Steelers fans were upset about. Fans are starting to question if Tomlin is the right guy to lead this franchise moving forward.
From a national media perspective, Tomlin is the coach every team would dream of having. Since taking over the head coaching duties in 2007, it is well-known that he has yet to have a losing season in Pittsburgh and players love having him lead their locker room. When it comes to people in and around Pittsburgh, the tone is much different. The lack of recent postseason success and underachieving during the "Killer B's" era has left a sour taste in their mouths. Now with an extremely talented team that is currently 2-2, but certainly trending downwards, the buzz is getting louder and louder in regards to Tomlin staying in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh's radio personality Mark Madden, who hosts the Mark Madden Show on 105.9 The X in Pittsburgh, has seen enough from Tomlin and says, "we're in the middle of the Mike Tomlin error."
"Tomlin and the Steelers still think you can win via defense and long drives. Tomlin still thinks you can win 17-16. He absolutely will not change his beliefs. Even if Tomlin did, he doesn’t have the coaching acumen to pull it off, nor the quality staff to facilitate."
Whether or not Tomlin actually believes this notion is yet to be addressed. But his actions and coaching decisions make this a valid point by Madden. Madden also touched on Tomlin's weekly Tuesday press conference and the "changes" Tomlin was referring to during Sunday's postgame press conference when he stated the team needed to be more physical at practice.
"But Tomlin sounded like an idiot when he talked about the Steelers’ lack of physicality and the need to practice in pads. The underlying message: 'It’s a man’s game, we need to be tougher, let’s get out there and hit, that’s Steeler football, rah-rah.'”
Adapting To The New Style Of Play In The NFL Has Been The Most Challenging For The Steelers And Coach Tomlin
The NFL isn't like it was back in the olden days when it comes to style of play. With the implementation of new rules and quarterback skill sets, the NFL has seen a gigantic shift in the way teams are able to move the ball and score. Defenses aren't as valuable today as they were back in the glory days.
The Steelers simply don't have the quick strike offense from a scheming standpoint and it is really showing when they face a team that has a high-powered offense. This team isn't built to win in those shootout-style matchups and unfortunately, that's where they need to be if they want to be taken seriously as an AFC contender.
At the end of the day, it is hard to imagine the Steelers not having Tomlin at the helm. But the results speak for themselves and it is fair for Steelers fans to start getting fidgety with where this team is headed. The 2023 Steelers are definitely one of the more talented teams in the division and if they don't turn it around quickly, it may get really ugly on Pittsburgh's North Shore.
What do you think? Are you out on Tomlin? If not, what are the changes he needs to make in order to get the Steelers back in Super Bowl contention? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
#SteelerNation
