You may most likely cease speculating on whether or not or not the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to fireside, commerce or substitute head coach Mike Tomlin this offseason. In keeping with a report from the Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers have no plans to actually make a head-coaching change and are anticipated to convey Tomlin again for a nineteenth season.
In Tomlin’s first 18 seasons, the Steelers have been probably the most profitable regular-season groups in soccer. They’ve by no means had a dropping season and have maintained a constantly aggressive roster, even following the retirement of future Corridor of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Over the previous two seasons, for instance, they nonetheless received 10 video games and made the playoffs every season regardless of getting into them each with extraordinarily low expectations from across the league.
Tomlin has additionally received a Tremendous Bowl and coached in one other throughout his time with the Steelers.
The issue for him and the Steelers is that for as aggressive as they’ve been within the common season, they’ve been fully uncompetitive within the playoffs.
Following Saturday’s 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers haven’t received a playoff recreation for the reason that 2016 season and have now misplaced 5 consecutive playoff video games. Tomlin is now 8-11 general within the playoffs.
What makes Saturday’s defeat much more irritating for the Steelers, their gamers and their followers is that it resulted in a five-game dropping streak to shut the season after beginning 10-3 and trying to be in full management of the AFC North. As an alternative of internet hosting a crew just like the Los Angeles Chargers, they needed to go on the street to play their fiercest rival and one of many NFL’s finest groups.
It’s a actually difficult spot for the Steelers.
So long as they’re successful extra video games than they lose and constantly making the playoffs, there’s a danger in making a change. The percentages of discovering a greater coach are most likely not nice, particularly given the success charge of different head-coaching hires across the NFL. However additionally it is fairly clear that the present state of affairs just isn’t getting them nearer to a championship. They’re crew. That’s their ceiling.
A part of that’s because of the quarterback state of affairs, and till that will get resolved, it’s exhausting to see that ceiling rising anytime quickly. Kenny Pickett was not the reply. They know Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will not be the long-term reply. Even on the tail finish of Roethlisberger’s profession, he was not enjoying at a excessive stage. It has most likely been seven or eight years for the reason that Steelers have really had high-level quarterback play.
That’s the largest hurdle the Steelers and Tomlin should clear.
It isn’t the one one, although. As inconsistent (and dangerous) because the quarterback play has been, the protection has additionally constantly failed them in playoff video games. That’s the place the Steelers have constructed their crew from and what they depend on to win. It has not been there for them within the largest video games.