Steelers Fans Are Reminded Of Mike Tomlin's Biggest Weakness As Another Major Error Comes To Light

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a weird spot over the last several seasons. The fan base has been extremely frustrated as the franchise has toed the line of being competitive, when in reality the team has just been good enough to make the postseason. Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and that looked like it was bound to change at the end of the 2024 season. It still can, but the Steelers are riding a three-game losing streak and the team looks worse than it has all year long.

The Steelers’ offense has been average at best throughout the 2024 season. Slow starts have plagued the unit, but overall the group has been competitive. Over the last three losses, the biggest issue with Pittsburgh has been its defense, which isn't usually the case. There has obviously been some miscommunication in pass coverage, and the group has looked absolutely lost at times. Players on the defense have been calling out teammates after games when speaking to the media, and it seems like it has become a serious issue in the locker room.

Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin has been under fire over the last several weeks, and many questioned the organization giving him an extension during the 2024 offseason that would keep Austin in Pittsburgh through 2025. Pittsburgh's defense has been good for the most part with Austin running things, but with the quality of talent he has had to work with, it should be much better.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin has often been criticized for some of his staffing decisions. Obviously hiring and then keeping Matt Canada around as the team's offensive coordinator for as long as he did was his biggest blunder, but so was keeping Austin. Pittsburgh had current Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores on its staff during the 2022 season as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach, and it was clearly a mistake to let him go. 

Flores has been a crucial part of the Vikings' success during the 2024 season. Minnesota currently has a record of 13-2 and its defense ranks third in the NFL when it comes to points allowed. Minnesota's offense and the resurgence of Sam Darnold has been the most talked about part of the team's success, but what Flores is doing should be a clear sign that Tomlin made a mistake in letting him leave Pittsburgh.

Steelers' Teryl Austin Is Achieving Less With A Lot More Talent

Austin gets the luxury of coaching a star-studded defense. He has All-Pros at every level in Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Patrick Queen, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. It is the highest-paid defense in the entire NFL. Meanwhile, Flores is achieving a lot more while coaching a defense that has only two players who have ever been named All-Pros in Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore, and both players are on the tail-ends of their careers. This provides even more evidence that Tomlin made the wrong decision in keeping Austin around while Flores was available and already in Pittsburgh. 

There is certainly a scenario where the 2024 season is Austin's last year being in charge of the defense in Pittsburgh, however the organization's loyalty to its coaches is unmatched. It isn't entirely his fault that the defense has been atrocious over the team's three-game losing streak. Queen and other players have been calling out some teammates for not fulfilling their responsibilities on certain plays, which has resulted in busted coverages.

One thing is clear: Tomlin made yet another mistake when putting together his staff by skipping over Flores. This has been a weak spot for Tomlin throughout his entire career, which is shown by his nonexistent coaching tree.

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