The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2022 season with a ton of youth and new faces to the franchise. The one consistent piece since 2007 has been head coach, Mike Tomlin. His "The Standard Is the Standard" approach has certainly left a mark in the locker room for years and the players love to play for him. With that said, it does not mean that the future Hall of Fame coach can't make some adjustments to his decision making and certain coaching tendencies.
He appears to have made the first step to mixing it up as many believe he won't be calling the defensive plays for the first time in years. He might relinquish play calling duties to first year defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin. The unit allowed a league worst 146.1 rushing yards per game and has enough talent to be considered as one of the best defenses in all of football. Austin has already brought a fire to the team and if Tomlin gives him the majority of control over the defense, it could be a step in the right direction.
Steelers Will Not Have "Franchise Quarterback" For the First Time In Tomlin's Tenure
Ben Roethlisberger was out for the majority of the 2019 season and the Steelers still found a way to go an even 8-8, mainly in part to an incredible coaching job by Tomlin. Other than 2019, he has always had a veteran leader at quarterback to come up big late in close games. Even when often having poor clock management from the sideline, Roethlisberger found a way to win several close games dating back to 2007.
Tomlin doesn't have that safety net and will need to manage games differently going forward without the Hall of Fame signal caller leading his offense. Not to mention, he isn't exactly an offensive minded coach and we could potentially see that weakness without Roethlisberger running the offense. It will be interesting to see what role he plays with Matt Canada's group and if he refuses to get a second running back involved as has been the case the majority of his time in Pittsburgh.
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 28: David DeCastro #66 and Ben Roethlisberger #7 stand next to head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers after they failed to convert a two point attempt during the closing moments of their 22-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 28, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
And, of course, the elephant in the room is the playoff performance that the organization has displayed the last five seasons. Tomlin's team has produced zero wins and for some franchise's that may be okay, but it isn't tolerated by Steelers fans. Tomlin has downplayed his incredible stretch of 15 seasons without a losing record because he is self aware enough to know that a non-losing season is not the standard in Pittsburgh.
Should the Steelers exceed expectations in 2022 and make the playoffs, it doesn't matter who is at quarterback. The team needs to be prepared and have a better game plan than it has since 2017 and that all starts with the guy at the top in Tomlin.
There is no doubt that the Steelers head coach is going to be inducted in the Hall of Fame one day. The best coaches and players are always improving and Tomlin would agree that he can get better in certain areas. With a less experienced group that is being severely doubted, a step up on the side line is exactly what the organization may need to stay competitive in a new era of Pittsburgh football.
What areas do you think Tomlin can improve in? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
