Recently, I stated on social media that the collapse of the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t the fault of Mike Tomlin. I was called a clown, buffoon, goof, idiot, moron and clown a second time. And that was just by my mom.
A number of Steelers fans erupted saying how wrong I was. My main point: the roster is the problem, not Tomlin. Their main point: Tomlin helps develop the roster and he’s lost a step as a head coach. The latter point is absolutely laughable and when you dig into the Steelers, really dig into them, and compare their personnel to all the teams that made this season’s playoffs, you see just how little Tomlin had to work with.
The Tomlin narrative that he’s lost a coaching step persists because it’s an easy one to digest. Same with this belief that the Steelers need a fresh voice. Yet both of those things are wrong. In the NFL, it’s all about talent. A good coach can maximize talent but that only goes so far. You need the players.
Maybe in past years, some of the team’s early playoff exits were because of Tomlin. But not this year. The team just doesn’t have enough receiving weapons to be a serious threat. No coach could go far with this offense.
This isn’t about Pro Bowlers. The Pro Bowl is political and not always a true representation of a franchise’s talent level. This is about what I see with my own two eyes.
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It’s clear the Steelers had the worst roster in the playoffs. In some cases, far worse.
Let’s break it down:
Vikings: The quarterback might be a question, true, but they have Justin Jefferson. There are also talented pieces all over this roster. The Steelers’ best offensive player is George Pickens, who sometimes wants to play hard, sometimes doesn’t, and like, dude, sometimes gets to the stadium when he wants to get there.
Tomlin has tolerated this type of behavior from receivers before and it’s true that’s a Tomlin problem. But also, it shouldn’t be on Tomlin for a professional player to behave, you know, professionally.
Rams: Wide receiver Puka Nacua has the potential to be a generational talent. This roster easily outdoes the Steelers’.
Commanders: They have quarterback Jayden Daniels. Not much to say after that.
Lions: Are you kidding?
Kansas City: C’mon.
Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield over Russell Wilson. A young running backs group, and wide receiver Mike Evans is still staggeringly good.
Packers: We’re still deciphering quarterback Jordan Love but the future looks bright. Better overall receivers than Pittsburgh and an emerging group of defenders.
Eagles: Not even close.
Chargers: This one is actually the closest. Justin Herbert has issues in big games but many general managers and coaches would run over multiple grandmas to get him. Safety Derwin James is one of the most underrated players in the league.
Speaking of James and defense, that side of the ball in Pittsburgh is hugely problematic. Are there schematic issues that are Tomlin’s fault? Sure. But the team’s big star, T.J. Watt, utilized a cloaking device in the final four games of the season. He didn’t have a sack and that includes the playoff game against the Ravens.
Texans: Wide receiver Nico Collins is a superstar and he’s just one of several excellent pass catchers. They also have running back Joe Mixon, who is far better than Najee ‘Zero point eight yards a carry’ Harris.
Ravens: Nope.
Broncos: Bo Nix is a franchise passer. That Broncos defense (most of the time) is actually what the Steelers’ defense thinks it is.
Bills: LOL.
Hey dork, you’re shredding Pittsburgh’s roster, but Tomlin has input into its composition, dum dum.
Input isn’t the same as final say.
Overall, when Tomlin says ‘the standard is the standard,’ he’s referring to an era that no longer exists. That ‘standard’ time was when the Steelers had players like Jerome Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger, and Troy Polamalu. They don’t have a fraction of those players now. Hines Ward ain’t walking through that door.
So go ahead. Blame Tomlin. It’s a free country. But look at that roster. Really look at it.
Is it that good?
Is it?