Steelers' Problem Might Be Mike Tomlin
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have hit a point where things are getting dangerous for their 2023 season. After back-to-back losses to 2-10 opponents, Pittsburgh now sits just above .500 (7-6), with one of their toughest stretches of the year in front of them.
How did it happen? Lack of execution would be what the coaches and players tell you. But for a second straight week, the Steelers have come out slow and seemingly overlooked their weaker opponents. And now, they're fighting their way back into the postseason race with a dim light still shining at the end of the tunnel.
Which brings up the question of whether or not Mike Tomlin has started to "lose his touch." Everyone raves about his winning seasons streak, and if you ask those within the locker room, coaching staff and front office, there is no better coach than Coach T. But results speak the loudest, and Tomlin has failed to get the results the city of Pittsburgh has begged for.
Whether it's loyalty to his coaching staff which has caused bigger issues within player development, or just lack of holding his team accountable, Tomlin has the Steelers' season in jeopardy. And while execution is certainly a part of it, so is not having your group together enough to know if you'll punt the ball or not on fourth down in the fourth quarter - resulting in a timeout being taken while you're down three points.
Or coming out of a weather delay and having to take a timeout because your offense doesn't know what's going on and who should be in the huddle. Or having 12 men on the field after a timeout on defense.
Sometimes, execution kills a team. Sometimes, that team wasn't prepared enough to execute.
That's a big question to ask when discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now, Tomlin remains one of the most beloved coaches in the NFL for good reason. He's a future Hall of Famer who continued to take teams to heights they should not reach.
This team should reach much higher, though. They have the offensive and defensive talent. They've been dealt injuries, yes, but the new players not knowing what's going on, and then "shooting yourself in the foot" has to fall on the coaches at some point.
It's time to start discussing whether or not Tomlin's seat is heating up. Or should be.
The Steelers aren't considering a coaching change. They may never consider a coaching change. But if they fired Matt Canada in the middle of the season because they saw their potential dipping, why wouldn't they look at all aspects of their team to identify the problem.
Maybe that isn't Tomlin. Maybe it is. And maybe, it's time there's some real pressure to "execute" more often than the Steelers have been.
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