The “Fire Tomlin” chants that rang through Acrisure Stadium late in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Buffalo Bills have been a long time coming, especially within this season, when the team has displayed such a concerning lack of consistency. Such inconsistencies explain away a 6-6 record heading into December.
Clearly, the team overestimated its talent through its all-in offseason efforts, headlined by signing Aaron Rodgers. With it being Rodgers’ final season, the team put on a face as though it was making a push for a postseason run, but they’ve failed to live up to such self-imposed expectations throughout the campaign.
The defense has regressed, despite being the highest-paid unit in the league, coached by Mike Tomlin, one of the league’s most respected figures. The offense lacks playmakers, and Rodgers himself went from being the least of the Steelers’ problems to near the top of the list.
All of it is an indictment on Tomlin, whose job security will be debated until the Steelers’ 2025 campaign comes to an end, regardless of how the final five games of the season play out or if the team finds a way to fall backwards into the postseason once again.
Dan Orlovsky’s snap-count breakdown paints a grim picture for Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh Steelers
When it comes to Tomlin’s job security, many of the arguments that favor his staying power revolve around his past successes. In a “what have you done for me lately” league, it ironically defies logic. One stat highlighted by ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky suggests that Tomlin’s command hasn’t done much for the Steelers this season.
According to Orlovsky, no defense has played more snaps than Pittsburgh’s, and no offense has played fewer snaps than the Steelers. The Steelers’ defense has played 153 more snaps than the offense. While defenders don’t get paid per snap, at least general manager Omar Khan and his front office are getting their money’s worth.
The snap count stat only highlights the Steelers' lacking identity, especially on offense. They run the ball at four yards per carry, but rank just 27th in total attempts, far from the typical identity the Steelers are expected to have. The passing game is a mess, with no reliable targets beyond a 300-pound tight end, a checkdown option at running back, and DK Metcalf, who has been underwhelming in his first season with the team.
Defensively, the team has lived and died by turnovers. If the defense doesn’t generate a takeaway, they bend to opposing offenses up and down the field. Pittsburgh is 1-6 in games where they lose or tie the turnover battle. All the while, T.J. Watt’s production continues to plummet, and otherwise excellent talents are routinely caught out of position.
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The stat confirms the gut feeling of many a Steelers fan. This team might be 6-6 and might hold some control of its destiny thanks to chaos in the AFC North this year, but they don’t look like a good team. They don’t look like a team that can play a January game and walk away winners. They look like a team that has regressed tremendously despite their best-laid plans.
At this point in the season, issues like this one are hard to correct. Rather, teams have to lean on their strengths and survive their weaknesses. But when the offense squanders opportunities and then watches the defense play nearly three quarters of game time on the other side, it’s hard to survive the weakness. Because the weakness is practically everywhere.