The Pittsburgh Steelers ‘lost’ yesterday with a 21-21 tie to the lowly Cleveland Browns. If not for a typical Browns gaffe at the end, they would have earned their first victory in over a year against the black and gold.
Mistakes, penalties and turnovers made for a sloppy game. While the players may take the blame the real blame has to go to head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff.
As has been the case, Tomlin’s team was undisciplined at times and this is squarely on him. He is the one responsible for instilling focus and discipline on this team and like so many times in the past, he failed.
Mike Tomlin just doesn’t have it.
Now I know what’s coming, the ‘it’s just one game, the Steelers will be fine, they have a plan, blah, blah.” And while they very well may win the division (although Boomer Esaiason doesn’t think they make the playoffs), it’s Tomlin’s failures in the most important aspects of the game that will cost them. In the playoffs last season his team was so focused on their rematch against the Patriots they let themselves get beat by Jacksonville.
Tomlin talks a good game, he just doesn’t coach one. I for one am tired of the blank stares at the jumbo tron as if he’s looking for answers from above. His team looked out of sync and not focused. That’s on him, not the weather, etc.
Yes, there were some nice aspects of the game. James Conner has arrived and is for real. T.J. Watt was a stud. Bud Dupree looked like a first-round pick (finally). The secondary had moments. But there were blown coverages, missed tackles and bad penalties. Those are the ‘little’ things that will kill a season. Looking at a jumbotron will not clean those things up. Instilling discipline and focus will.
Tomlin has his legion of fans and I’m sure to hear from them. But at what point do the rose colored glasses come off and fans start being real. The Super Bowl drought has reached nearly ten years, all under Tomlin. At what point does the ‘Steeler Way’ meet reality? If this season ends with yet another early exit, management has to take a critical look at where this team is. If they manage to get over the hump, then Tomlin’s shortcomings get swept under the rug.
One game a season does not make. But this one game was symptomatic of why Mike Tomlin doesn’t have ‘it.’