The Pittsburgh Steelers are in flux. For the first time in 18 years they will have a roster without Ben Roethlisberger on it. They will have an offensive line that will likely have two or more new starters on it. And they have a defense that has some playmakers yet needs to drastically improve in certain areas. That final part is where my focus is and in particular on Mike Tomlin who needs recognize he’s at a crossroads.
If there were any doubt that Mike Tomlin’s hands were on this defense then rest assured, he had a very firm grip on it. So firm that he was pretty much running it. Long-time Steelers’ Coach Keith Butler is retiring yet before heading off into the sunset he made several appearances on local radio. He confirmed what many of us already believed… “I would have liked to do them myself, sure I would,” Butler said. “I think everybody would. But Mike’s the head coach. He can do what he wants to do.” Butler’s answer was in reply to being asked about whether or not he called the plays.
Some have taken this statement and others like it and have decided that Tomlin is a “control freak.” Show me a head coach that isn’t! Bill Belichick? Sean Payton? Do any of us believe these guys were “hands off?” Not even close. This doesn’t mean however that Mike Tomlin shouldn’t take a step back though.
It’s never easy giving up the reins to someone else and frankly, the only person who can force that besides Tomlin himself is Art Rooney II. At this point, we’ve yet to hear from him and I think we are at a spot where his silence is starting to speak more than his words. Eventually he will finally make his annual pilgrimage to the podium but when we don’t know.
While Tomlin is firmly entrenched as the head football coach of this team, he appears to have reached a fork in the road. He hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016 and prior to that he had been 8-5 in the playoffs with two Super Bowls and one win. He now sits at 8-8. There are many teams in the NFL that would die for that kind of success but expectations are different in the Steel City.
Perhaps handing the defensive play-call duties over to someone else would allow Tomlin to focus more of his energy on the team as a whole. Maybe his game management would improve with such a major part of coaching off of his plate. It’s hard to say but it sure seems like the defense could use some new blood and new ideas. With no shortage of good, experienced defensive coordinators available, now feels like the right time.
As I said though, only Tomlin or his boss can make this change. Will either do it or will the status quo remain? If it does one has to wonder why the term “defensive coordinator” is even used in Pittsburgh.
