Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin seemed to be teetering on the abyss of facing his first losing season as an NFL coach since Week 2. However, in a remarkable turnaround, on the part of players and coaches alike, the Steelers came back from a two-win, six-loss start prior to the bye, to seven wins and two losses post-bye. Those final wins kept the Steelers at 9-8 and kept Tomlin’s win streak alive.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on prior to a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 18, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Steelers Mike Tomlin Expresses Appreciation
After the game on Sunday, Tomlin was asked by the press about the season and his feelings. He expressed obvious disappointment that the team wasn’t “going to work” the rest of this week. Tomlin also spoke about how much the players' effort and attitude mean to him.
“You know I'm appreciative of the efforts today. I'm appreciative of the efforts all year. You know we were an evolving group and that evolution continued even into today. But I'm just appreciative of the collective. I'm appreciative of the men, not just what they're capable of but what they're willing to do. In the face of adversity that football presents, in the face of adversity that life presents, we have an opportunity to kind of display some things in all of that. Hopefully, we learn something, hopefully, we taught others something in the midst of our journey.”
Tomlin, with 16 winning seasons in a row, is now tied with legendary Coach George Halas. That is a tremendous honor as Halas from the Chicago Bears, was known as “Mr. Everything” because he played for, coached and owned the team. Often he was stepping into more than one role at a time.
MIAMI - JANUARY 21: Football legend George Halas conducts the pre-game coin toss before Super Bowl XIII at the Orange Bowl on January 21, 1979, in Miami, Florida. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys 35-31. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images)
Tomlin spoke to the press again on Monday for his regular weekly press conference, this one sadly is the last one for the season. He said he is proud of the turnaround this team has made and is only a few hours into the post-season and hasn’t quite wrapped his head around it yet. He said these things tend to become more clear as you “put a bow” on the season.
“Obviously there is some benefit to being a part of smiling in the face of adversity and pushing through some difficult times," Tomlin said.
Finally, he was asked about his winning season streak and Tomlin couldn’t have given a more 'Tomlinesque' answer. When the reporter mentioned how the players have all been so excited to be a part of keeping the streak alive, he minimized the importance of it to himself and kept the focus on the players and winning.
“It was probably more important to them as a subject matter, obviously than it was to me. I'm appreciative of that, the relationship I have with them that makes it important to them. But, you know, my agenda is getting in the single elimination tournament and pursuing the confetti game and winning it. And that agenda will never change."
"I am a competitor, I like to compete continually, I love the challenges this game and this job provides and so I am wired in that way. So I spend little time assessing the totality of things, particularly if it doesn’t light a fire under me, if I can’t utilize it as fuel in an effort to be ready for the adversity that awaits. Talking about accolades, and trivial things, streaks and things of that nature if it is not useful to me in our next battles. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it or focusing on it.”
When asked how he feels about heading into next season, which will be his 17th season with the Steelers, if the fire still burns, if he still feels that same passion and urgency to win, Tomlin replied.
“More so. Increasingly so.”
What do you think of Tomlin’s win streak? How surprised were you that they kept it going? Will next year make it 17 seasons? Comment below.
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