After a stunning loss in the playoffs, there are some that are calling for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to be fired or at least on the hot seat.
The Pittsburgh Steelers saw a very promising season go up in flames this past weekend at the hands of the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars, losing 45-42 at Heinz Field. It’s one of the worst losses the Steelers have suffered in recent years and have left coach Mike Tomlin firmly in the crosshairs for some fans. While Tomlin absolutely has underwhelmed in his Steelers tenure, he’s not going to be fired and it shouldn’t even be a consideration.
Tomlin took over the team in 2007 and has yet to have a losing season. The worst the Steelers have ever finished with Tomlin is consecutive 8-8 seasons in 2012 and 2013. In eight of his 11 seasons, Pittsburgh has hit double digits in wins. The regular season success isn’t up for debate when a coach has a .659 winning percentage. The end goal of any NFL team isn’t defined in the regular season and that’s where things get tricky in evaluating Tomlin.
His critics will point to his postseason record which is on 8-7. That is the area that is littered with disappointment and seasons that have ended way too soon. The Steelers have lost to quarterbacks such as David Garrard, Tim Tebow, and now Blake Bortles. This is a flat-out failure when you have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger on your team. Those losses hang heavy on the resume of Tomlin and are legitimate criticisms.
The other major criticism right now is the way the Steelers go about their business. They are an arrogant bunch as was evidenced this past week. Both running back Le’Veon Bell and safety Mike Mitchell talked about playing in New England for the AFC Championship the night before the Jaguars game. Pittsburgh fans may not want to hear it, but Patriots players aren’t pulling that kind of stunt. That falls at Tomlin’s feet because he has to control his players. It’s not smart to give a playoff team bulletin board material if it can be avoided. Tomlin also openly talked about the Steelers and the Patriots likely playing in the AFC title game during the regular season. Tomlin has to get the hubris under control for next season.
For anyone that wants Tomlin to go, the question to answer is who would be replacing him? Would fans be happy with a coach like Josh McDaniels, who once spent a first-round draft pick on Tim Tebow and flamed out in Denver? Do Pittsburgh fans really want a retread like a Mike Mularkey or Chuck Pagano? The easy retort is to find the next Sean McVay but that is far easier said than done. One of the other most important factors in keeping Tomlin is Ben Roethlisberger. It’s not the wisest choice to start all over when Roethlisberger is nearing retirement.
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The bottom line is the Steeler organization does not operate with knee-jerk reactions. Mike Tomlin is not going to be fired and he really shouldn’t be. However, he needs to look in the mirror and make improvements in his style to get the Steelers back to the Super Bowl and live up to his expectations.