For those of you who fall into the same category as I do, which is a "seasoned" Pittsburgh Steelers fan, you undoubtedly and fondly remember the decade of the 1970s. You may not have the same fondness for the decade of the 1980s, however. The 1990s and 2000s were successful. Since 2007, the ride, so to speak, has been nothing short of inconsistent and turbulent.
Before we delve into this discussion, I want to make it very clear that I appreciate and respect the work that Mike Tomlin did as the Steelers' head coach; however, there is no way to describe the last 10 years that doesn't include the word "disappointment." The first decade of Tomlin's tenure was fantastic, especially the 2008 Super Bowl run.
What is not fantastic is the fact that they have not won a playoff game since 2016, which coincides with the last time they reached the AFC Championship game, which also coincides with the last time they had a chance at winning the Lombardi Trophy.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' fortunes may not change anytime soon, and that is embarrassing
Let me clarify what I mean about the Steelers' fortunes potentially not changing and the embarrassment that may ensue. It is not an embarrassment that we have never had a losing season while Tomlin was the head coach. That is a remarkable and admirable achievement.
While there is something to be said for consistency, there is also something to be said for making the playoffs and actually winning a game once you get there. To put this into perspective, the Steelers of the 1970s made the playoffs every year from 1972 to 1979.
Conversely, the Steelers of the 1980s did not enjoy the success that the teams of the 1970s enjoyed, but even those '80s teams enjoyed a modicum of playoff success. They made the playoffs in 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1989. They were one game away from the Super Bowl in 1984, but got summarily dispatched by the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship game.
While Pittsburgh never got to or played in a Super Bowl in the 1980s, I had the feeling that they were at least competitive. I don't have that same feeling with this iteration of the Steelers. To be fair, there are games where they look completely dominant, but then turn around the next week and "stink it up", as Tomlin described many of their recent playoff losses.
As I stated earlier, it is laudable that Pittsburgh never had a losing season while Tomlin was the head coach, but taking a step back may allow us to take two steps forward. They have been stuck in neutral, not being bad enough to be in a position to draft in the top ten, but also not being good enough to win in the playoffs.
I don't believe fans of teams that have had perennial losing seasons would think it is embarrassing to have made the playoffs twelve times since 2007 and not have advanced any further than the AFC Championship game. I'm fairly certain some organizations would salivate at the thought of having that kind of consistency.
Still, there is a reason why Tomlin himself ultimately stepped down as HC: something needed to change, and he felt it wouldn't happen with him at the helm. Will their new Mike, Mike McCarthy that is, be any better? Only time will tell.
For the Steelers organization and for fans of the Steelers, it is downright unfathomable to think that we have not won a playoff game in nearly a decade, and even the 1980s teams would have something to say about that.
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