Steelers' Mike Tomlin Admits Pittsburgh Is Achieving The Same Results Despite Defending Their Efforts To Adapt

With the Pittsburgh Steelers' early exit from the playoffs, all eyes have once again turned to Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his failure to secure a postseason victory over the past several years. The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and the frustration and impatience mount every year. Tomlin got off to a hot start when he was hired by the franchise in 2007. In his first four seasons, he was 5-2 in the postseason and took the Steelers to two Super Bowls, winning one. Then things went downhill, and he is 3-9 in his last 12 postseason games after the recent loss to the Baltimore Ravens, making his total record 8-11.

The decline in production has many wondering if Tomlin can still lead the team or if his messaging has gotten stale. While Tomlin usually has the support of the national media, the way the team seemed to give up while playing the Ravens has even them questioning whether or not Tomlin should remain at the helm. Recently, Tomlin was asked during his press conference about how the team seems to be experiencing the same kind of failure over and over. They wanted to know if that had him rethinking how he handles his job or the business of running the team.    

"Certainly," acknowledged Tomlin. "I have a cliche that the guys oftentimes throw back at me in jest, but it's true, 'two is a pattern.' I say that because there's an expiration date on adjusting and adapting. Although, as you mentioned, we've had similar results, rest assured that we're not doing the same things hoping for a different result. We have adapted, we've altered our approach, and we will continue because we're not getting what we seek, and that's the confetti game, to be world champs. Our goals are really clear, it's also really clear that we're falling short of it and falling short of it in a consistent way. So we're still going to continue to be open to adapting our behavior, our program, the structure of what it is that we do to turn over every stone in an effort to get what we desire. That's just the appropriate and mature way to approach it."

Tomlin said he uses that expression about two being a pattern to express urgency to the players and let them know that they have to adapt and adjust when they start seeing those patterns. While Tomlin insists that the team was adapting and changing, it did not feel that way as they lost game after game. 

This isn't the first time that the team has been accused of looking predictable and seeming as if they are defeated or just giving up. After the game ended, there were reports that the team seemed relieved to have the season done. While the players have expressed their displeasure at their own performance and at once again failing to advance, there is little doubt that they had a part in play in the end-of-season breakdown. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin's Future Might Be Linked To Ownership

While it seems improbable that the organization will fire Tomlin and even less likely that he will choose to resign, it hasn't stopped the fan base from insisting that the only change would help. It raises the question of how long this will last. Tomlin just wrapped up his 18th season with the Steelers. While he has never had a non-losing season, that isn't carrying the weight it once did. 

Recently, Mark Kaboly of the The Pat McAfee Show suggested that he believes Tomlin's fate is at least partially tied to that of owner Art Rooney II. According to Kaboly, Rooney's entire ownership career has been built around Tomlin, and he won't want to go out on this postseason losing streak. He predicts that the elder Rooney has just a couple of years left before he decides to turn the team over to his son, Daniel Rooney. With Tomlin's contract having another two years left, he suggests those changes may coincide.  

Do you think the team adapted and changed as the season went on? Click to comment below. 

#SteelerNation