Steeler fans seriously need to stop blaming Mike Tomlin

Steeler fans seriously need to stop blaming Mike Tomlin

By ANDREW DOMENCIC -  December 31, 2015



These days, in Steeler Nation, hearing fans blame Mike Tomlin has become almost as common as seeing fans waving a Terrible Towel.

Yes, with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ recent loss to the Baltimore Ravens I could not help but wait for what I knew was coming. I knew there would be people calling for Tomlin’s head, but part of me wanted to think that maybe it would not happen this time. Maybe Steeler fans would stop arbitrarily placing the blame on the coach and actually look to who was really at fault, and that is Ben Roethlisberger.

It was not the coaching decisions that cost Pittsburgh the game, it was the uncommon poor play at Ben Roethlisberger that caused the Steelers to drop their third straight game to their bitter rivals.

Blaming Mike Tomlin for last week’s loss is patently absurd.

But see, I knew all this was coming. I knew it was coming from the moment the clock hit 0:00 because it is an every-week occurrence: when Pittsburgh loses, so many fans want Mike Tomlin fired; yet, when they win, he never gets any credit.

And it’s true. He really never gets any credit. I could not tell you how many times I’ve heard a fan say something along the lines of, “What has he accomplished that’s significant? And winning the Super Bowl doesn’t count because that was all Bill Cowher.”

It is an incredible double standard that so many fans embrace, and it is very troubling.

Many reading this may have seen the recent article that went viral suggesting that Mike Tomlin would be leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers to go back to working as a diagnostician for Dr. Gregory House.

This, of course, was a parody article referencing the fictional character Dr. House from the television series House M.D., and one of his employees who is played by Omar Epps, who greatly resembles Mike Tomlin.

However, despite the article being intended as a joke, it was actually believed and taken as fact by thousands of Steeler fans who loved the idea of Mike Tomlin leaving Pittsburgh.

It simply does not make any sense, especially since so many want to compare Tomlin to Bill Cowher as if to suggest that Cowher was somehow astronomically superior to him.

This, too, is complete nonsense.

In fact, if the Steelers win on Sunday against Cleveland, it will put Mike Tomlin’s career winning percentage (including the playoffs) at .633. At this same point in Bill Cowher’s career, his winning percentage was only .587.

Add Mike Tomlin’s winning playoff record and two Super Bowl appearances to the mix, and the nonsense is further exposed.

Now, this is not to suggest that Cowher was not a great coach, but one must recognize that Mike Tomlin’s career up to this point is actually better than that of Bill Cowher.

Clearly, this will not be recognized by many fans, and I am sure that many of my friends, family, and the media will be calling Mike Tomlin to be fired if things do not work out on Sunday.

I am also sure that it is utterly ridiculous and unwarranted.

http://cover32.com/2015/12/31/steeler-fans-seriously-need-to-stop-blaming-mike-tomlin/#rA8owkkSt4GCRrMV.99

Questioning coaching decisions is a fan thing on any team. Is he supposed to be above that? Look Tomlin has called some seriously stupid shit over the years if you can't admit that you're either deaf, dumb, blind or haven't been a Steeler fan very long.

The question remains how many more seasons of missing the playoffs and draft busts are the Roonies going to tolerate? I am not saying the dude needs fired for this seasons debacle but honestly how many more years do you really feel he deserves if he continues to come up short? This will be the longest streak missing the playoffs baring a Jets collapsed not a really long time. How many more seasons of missing the chance at the SB does he get? Unleashing hell isn't working out for him really...

Tomlin is over rated OBVIOUSLY. ;)

Tomlin making calls during the game on whether to go for it or kick a field goal have nothing to do with his inability to prepare his team for bottom dwellers of this league. Steelers shit the bed last week when they had no room to shit. They lost to Tim Tebow in 2012 for god sake. They have lost big games against shitty teams and worse, to some of the jankiest QB's out there. It has cost them playoffs and byes. Its been going on for a while now. At what point can you keep wasting Big Ben's prime? You wanna blame Ben for doing stupid shit, well, I guess you can go with the ole gunslinger mentality, but Big Ben doesnt play defense. Why is it that they cant be ready for Ryan fucking Mallet? Or Johnny Football? Or McCarron? They look unprepped and unorganized against shitty QBs who have no business doing what they do to them. This is a bad coaching. Not going for it on 4th and 1 in the first 5 min of the game.

John Harblow just has his number

I do not want Tomlin Fired....IMO he is a great coach still learning.

However I want the belief that this team doesn't have a problem with consistency.....to absolutely be killed with Fire IMMIADIATELY!!!!!!

For so many years losing to these garbage teams has appeared to be a laugh it off thing with this team...."oh teams try harder because they're playing against the steelers"..."Whatever, being hot at the end is all that matter anyways". On and on with the excuse making and absolute denial of any problem whatsoever.

I don't know who ultimately holds more of the blame for it Ben, Tomlin, Haley, someone else in the coaching staff...But the first thing to fixing it is acknowledging that there is a problem. And it's something that has to be done if this team wants to take the next step.....

Oh and ugh maybe drafting/signing a couple of decent dbs who can press and play Man coverage....maybe think about something like that Colbert...just maybe.

Mike Tomlin is a very good coach, but he has his flaws and he needs to work on his game management in my honest opinion. The biggest issues with this team however have more to do with players doing their jobs and executing their assignments than with coaching.

No fans are ever placated. I seriously saw a bunch of Packers fans wanting McCarthy fired because "he's only won 1 Super Bowl in 10 years!".

I like Tomlin and don't think he is going anywhere.

I do hope he does some reflection in the offseason regarding he and his staff's philosophy or operations. There are coaches that seem to get more out of what they have and I really haven't seen that with the Steelers the past few seasons.

If ever there was a season to have a group of young players and aging veterans come together and play above their expectations, it was the Steelers defense this season, IMO.

Of course I blame Tomlin and his staff for last weeks loss. Should have never happened. We had a vastly superior team personnel wise and we had to win - that's on the coaches. However, I'm not into him being fired also (who would we replace him with anyway). Tomlin does need to get his shit together though and start winning these very winnable must win games.

I think C Lake is a different story, some serious changes need to be made to our secondary, personnel and coaching wise.

Steeler-in-west wrote:

Of course I blame Tomlin and his staff for last weeks loss. Should have never happened. We had a vastly superior team personnel wise and we had to win - that's on the coaches. However, I'm not into him being fired also (who would we replace him with anyway). Tomlin does need to get his shit together though and start winning these very winnable must win games.

I think C Lake is a different story, some serious changes need to be made to our secondary, personnel and coaching wise.

Agreed, as the saying goes, sometimes when life gives you lemons, you make lemon-aid out of it. In this case, they made lemon-shit out of the secondary.

Tomlin's a good coach.....neither great nor terrible.

His players love to play for him and I'd bet he has that reputation with many of the players around the league.

For me his biggest weaknesses are his in game decisions and clock management.
He coaches with too much testosterone at times, taking too many gambles when they're not necessary. He likes to coach against the grain which is OK at times but he forces it a bit. I think he wants to cultivate that repuatation and he has done that.

I see him much more as a motivator than an X's and O's guy.

Losing games that his team shouldn't lose, happens more than it should.
Last week is a prime example....but I put that one more on Ben.

You can't compare Tomlin to cower. Tomlin inherited a franchise qb cower did not.

ImperialFan wrote:

You can't compare Tomlin to cower. Tomlin inherited a franchise qb cower did not.

Are you talking about the franchise QB that Cowher didn't even want?

ImperialFan wrote:

You can't compare Tomlin to cower. Tomlin inherited a franchise qb cower did not.

Cowher wanted to draft Shawn Andrews in '04... not Roethlisberger. Good thing the Rooneys intervened... or the Steelers would still only have 4 rings.

You Cowher haters are funny. A poster states that Tomlin had Ben for his QB and Cowher had who??...so you immediately deflect the conversation by going to some hypothetical draft history.

Tomlin is good. Still could be better in some ways of course but we as Steelers fans have spoiled with Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin. If you look at who other teams have had in that same stretch. Tomlin will face his greatest challenge when he has to replace Ben but Coach Noll did when Terry retired too.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

Tomlin is good. Still could be better in some ways of course but we as Steelers fans have spoiled with Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin. If you look at who other teams have had in that same stretch. Tomlin will face his greatest challenge when he has to replace Ben but Coach Noll did when Terry retired too.

Had the Steelers just drafted Marino in 83, Noll may have squeezed another Super Bowl before he retired. However, Tomlin is an OK coach. Nothing special. When Big Ben leaves, he may have some serious issues but we will see hopefully in 4 or 5 years.

OX1947 wrote:

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

Tomlin is good. Still could be better in some ways of course but we as Steelers fans have spoiled with Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin. If you look at who other teams have had in that same stretch. Tomlin will face his greatest challenge when he has to replace Ben but Coach Noll did when Terry retired too.

Had the Steelers just drafted Marino in 83, Noll may have squeezed another Super Bowl before he retired. However, Tomlin is an OK coach. Nothing special. When Big Ben leaves, he may have some serious issues but we will see hopefully in 4 or 5 years.

I know. I am just saying that's going to be Tomlin's greatest challenge as HC. Frankly it is for any HC though.

Not many coaches can squeeze out 10 wins with the injuries we sustained. Just look at Dallas or the Giants.

The_Joker wrote:

Not many coaches can squeeze out 10 wins with the injuries we sustained. Just look at Dallas or the Giants.

Speaking of that, I saw that Coughlin is out in NY. I had heard that was the one job that COwher would actually consider coming out of retirement for but I don't buy it. I think Cowher is retired for good. That will be an interesting hire though. And if Coughlin is done, I want to thank him for ruining the Patriots* twice.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

Not many coaches can squeeze out 10 wins with the injuries we sustained. Just look at Dallas or the Giants.

Speaking of that, I saw that Coughlin is out in NY. I had heard that was the one job that COwher would actually consider coming out of retirement for but I don't buy it. I think Cowher is retired for good. That will be an interesting hire though. And if Coughlin is done, I want to thank him for ruining the Patriots** twice.

Pfffffffffft. Cowher is 10 years rusty, no way in hell he'd have any success.

The_Joker wrote:

Not many coaches can squeeze out 10 wins with the injuries we sustained. Just look at Dallas or the Giants.

Yeah, but Ben put the team on his back and when he didn't, Joey Porter and Carnell Lake coached their asses off.

Tomlin only gets 10 wins a season with Cowher's former players.

The_Joker wrote:

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

Not many coaches can squeeze out 10 wins with the injuries we sustained. Just look at Dallas or the Giants.

Speaking of that, I saw that Coughlin is out in NY. I had heard that was the one job that COwher would actually consider coming out of retirement for but I don't buy it. I think Cowher is retired for good. That will be an interesting hire though. And if Coughlin is done, I want to thank him for ruining the Patriots*** twice.

Pfffffffffft. Cowher is 10 years rusty, no way in hell he'd have any success.

Dick Vermil was out longer but I do agree, the game's changed a lot since Cowher left after 2006. It's a much more pass heavy game and Coach was always a run first kind of guy. I think he's done too though. I think he really enjoys being a commentator and he really enjoyed his run as the Steelers HC and doesn't want to mess with that legacy. If I'm the Giants, I go the route we went and get a young coordinator.

Eventually it is just time to move on

I recall this was said by the underrated Joe Gibbs (three Lombardis with Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien as his QBs is the greatest run of success with journeyman QBs in post-Super Bowl NFL history), but it popped up again in this linked article on Tom Coughlin stepping down

Citing the John Madden and Bill Walsh examples, 10 years in the same job is still about the shelf life for NFL head coaches

http://www.si.com/nfl/2016/01/04/black-monday-2016-snaps-tom-coughlin-replacements-sean-payton

Clock is ticking for Tomlin

Tomlin Says Steelers Focus On Tackling Every Week

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/01/tomlin-says-steelers-focus-on-tackling-every-week/