5 incriminating statistics prove Mike Tomlin didn't deserve contract extension

Most of us assumed that Mike Tomlin wasn't going anywhere, and we now have confirmation that this is indeed the case. On June 10, the long-time Steelers head coach inked a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh until at least 2027.

This news was met with a mixed bag of emotions from the Steelers fanbase. Early in his tenure, Tomlin took his team to a pair of Super Bowls and brought back a Lombardi Trophy. But in recent years, things haven't gone as well as we all would have hoped.

While his regular season record of 173-100-2 has been miraculous, the playoffs have been a completely different story. There's no question that Mike Tomlin would get scooped up immediately by another team if he was no longer the HC in Pittsburgh, but these five condemning playoff statistics prove he didn't deserve his three-year extension with the Steelers.

5 incriminating Mike Tomlin playoff stats

1. Steelers are 3-8 in the playoffs since 2011

When you step back and examine this number, it's jaw-dropping. Appearing in 11 total playoff games in 13 years isn't a terrible number, but the 3-8 record in the postseason during this stretch is appalling. Head coaches have lost their jobs for far less.

2. Steelers' 3 postseason wins in the last 13 years came against questionable QBs

Here's where things get really ugly. Three playoff wins in 13 years is bad enough, but it's cringingly bad when you consider the quarterbacks they faced in their lone three wins during this stretch.

These postseason victories came against the likes of A.J. McCarron, Matt Moore, and Alex Smith. Two of the three were backups. The Steelers won by just two points against the Bengals with McCarron and the Chiefs with Smith.

3. Steelers have lost 3 straight playoff games by double-digit points

The recent sample is always the most important, and that's been worse than ever. In each of Pittsburgh's previous three playoff games, they have lost by double-digit points in every contest.

The Steelers were getting massacred by Baker Mayfield in the Browns before fighting back in garbage time. This game still resulted in an 11-point loss during the 2020 playoffs. During the 2021 postseason, Pittsburgh was humiliated in a 21-point loss to Kansas City, and in the 2023 playoffs against Buffalo, Tomlin's team lost by 14.

4. Steelers have allowed over 40 points per game in the playoffs in their last 4 games

Mike Tomlin's philosophy of playing great defense and running the football has worked well enough to beat up on average teams in the regular season, but this team has been kicked in the teeth when attempting to execute this in the postseason.

The defense -- which is supposed to be Tomlin's specialty -- has fallen flat every time in the postseason since 2017. Ironically, this was the year T.J. Watt was drafted. The Steelers have allowed an average of 41.5 points per game over their final four playoff contests -- a detestable number for any team.

5. Steelers haven't won a playoff game in 7 years

It all comes down to this one -- the stat that everyone and their mother knows about. Under Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers have gone seven straight years without a single playoff win.

Instead of team president Art Rooney II putting the pressure on Tomlin in a contract year, he awards him with a three-year contract extension. What happens if Tomlin makes this eight seasons in a row? Or worse: what if this winless postseason drought lasts a decade?

Mike Tomlin is a great NFL head coach, but things have gotten stale, and these incriminating playoff statistics show why he should not have received a contract extension.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.