The Eagles and Chiefs are squaring off in Super Bowl LVII. Here are the three biggest things the Pittsburgh Steelers could learn from these premier teams.
Even if you ignore the spotty officiating during Championship Game weekend, there shouldn’t be a soul out there surprised to see the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl after the dominance they displayed during the regular season. These two teams each bosted a 14-3 record in their respective conferences and were the number one seed throughout the playoffs.
Right now, it’s unreasonable to think that the Pittsburgh Steelers would stand a chance against either squad — even with their late-season improvements. However, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t compete with the best in the NFL in the near future.
Part of that improvement starts with a change in their philosophical approach to the games. Pittsburgh should be taking notes from arguably the two best franchises in the business right now. Here are three things the Steelers must learn from the Super Bowl teams this year.
3. Steelers must learn to be aggressive on offense
From a coaching perspective, it might be time for Mike Tomlin to alter his philosophy. Running the football well and playing good defense is a recipe for success against average and below-average NFL teams, but when you face the best offenses and quarterbacks in the business, it’s a method that has failed in this new era of football.
Since being hired as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2007, Mike Tomlin has been one of the most conservative coaches in the league when it comes to going for it on 4th down. Eagles HC Nick Sirianni and Chiefs HC Andy Reid could not be more opposite. Trusting what the analytics suggest, these coaches are much more impressive in their approach.
The Steelers need to have a mindset of trying to get a first down on every play; not trying to get themselves into 3rd and manageable situations. Their backward philosophy that includes limiting ‘risky’ plays on offense is their downfall. They must get more aggressive if they want to make it back to the Super Bowl in the near future.