Steelers' Mike Tomlin Should Look In The Mirror To Find His "Necessary Changes"

The Pittsburgh Steelers look to be one step away from playing the blame game publicly, as their frustrations in the media look to be boiling over. They have lost control of the AFC North with just one game to go, and who knows if they can win a playoff game at this point? The sky seems to be falling, and beating a team with a .238 strength of victory will not be enough to make everyone happy again, whether it's by blowout or by a close game. 

During his postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that this showing is unacceptable, and he would "make whatever necessary changes we need" to get everyone back on track and winning like they were in the first 13 games of the season. 

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette talked about what those changes could be. Sure, the Steelers could hope for Justin Fields to return and get some more plays, but how will that impact the defense or the other issues with the offense? They've already changed up the running back tandem, as Jaylen Warren has been getting more touches as of late. The defense is still confused as ever. The problem points to one man in particular.

"That leaves coaching — or, more specifically, the schemes that are being used," said Dulac.

Tomlin previously admitted that he has his hands in every little part of the team, including the offense. The offensive schemes have been the same over the last three offensive coordinators: run the ball, avoid the middle of the field, and hit the sidelines to prevent interceptions. It worked for a few games in 2024, but overall, that idea has led to horrible offensive play with guys not developing at all.

However, Tomlin is a defensive minded coach and, as Keith Butler admitted, he is the one that calls the plays. This is the same unit that has crumbled when it has mattered most of late. This is also the same unit that seemingly can't function properly unless TJ Watt is on the field. There are major issues with this unit, and Tomlin is the man in charge of fixing them. 

"The defense is Tomlin’s domain, and how he expects to change what has become the most glaring problem might require more than 'just getting back in the lab,' one of their favorite expressions," Dulac mentioned.

Tomlin cut his teeth in the NFL under Tony Dungy's legendary Tampa 2 defense, then eventually got hired by the Steelers who had Dick LeBeau's legendary zone blitz schemes. Since Tomlin officially took over play-calling duties, he has yet to adjust out of zone defense, even though every sign points to that. 

Tomlin even admitted to using his zone defense against a team, and specifically Travis Kelce, that is known for being a "zone-killer."

Steelers Have Tried To Help Tomlin, But He Refuses To Listen

Defensive miscommunication has been a problem all season long. Back in Week 5, Tomlin chose to blame Steeler Nation for these issues. The next day, however, Minkah Fitzpatrick said that those issues were caused by the play calls. Tomlin attempted to deflect the blame away, but Fitzpatrick deflected it right back to him. Instead of taking his safety's advice, he continued to be stubborn and call plays that bring him comfort. 

Tomlin has a history of gaslighting people into thinking these late-season collapses are anyone's fault but his own. He rarely ever takes accountability for his own actions. Until he is willing to truly look himself in the mirror and accept that his way of doing things is holding the Steelers back from greatness, the standard will continue to be the standard: decent, but never a real threat to do anything meaningful. He truly seeks comfort and lives in his fears, even though his Tomlinisms say otherwise.

What do you think about how Tomlin has run the Steelers as of late? Let us know in the comments.

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