Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Tuesday.
The Kickoff
There are two things I’m really tired of hearing. 1. Who else is out there to hire if the Steelers part ways with Mike Tomlin? 2. Mike Tomlin would get hired in two seconds if he is no longer the coach of the Steelers. Allow me to explain…
The First
This question irritates me because the same thing was said when Bill Cowher moved on. Let me be blunt; there is always someone else. Mike Tomlin was that someone else. If you recall, most fans were pulling for Russ Grimm to get the job. Casual Steelers’ fans hadn’t even heard of Mike Tomlin when he ultimately got the job. Therefore, when fans ask “who else is out there?” There’s always someone.
The Second
ESPN’s Rex Ryan is the latest to make this comment. Why does this surprise anyone? Mike Tomlin is a damn good coach and yes, many NFL teams would love to have him. That doesn’t take away from the fact Tomlin has – in my opinion – run his course in Pittsburgh. Ryan made his statement as if it were Earth-shattering news that other teams would hire Tomlin. I’ll never understand this.
Coach Cowher
The former Steelers’ head coach was a guest on The Dan Patrick Show yesterday. He was really good. His thoughts on college football coaching were interesting and he discussed the “fire Tomlin” chants and the pressures of coaching in Pittsburgh. It’s worth your time to watch.
Inside Blitz
Tonight I’ll be posting my short-form podcast “The Inside Blitz” which is my 10-12 take on the latest Steelers’ news. You can find that with all of our other stuff over at our YouTube channel.
The Dilemma
As fans of the Steelers, we always want them to win. As Steelers’ fans who have grown tired of the status quo, we know that losing may actually force change. With five games left the Steelers still largely control their own fate so the discussion could change drastically by January. That may be wishful thinking though.
Cam’s Behavior
To this point, I have yet to see any play in which Bills’ QB Josh Allen knees Cam Heyward in the groin. This was the contention made by Heyward when he was asked about his fiery attitude toward the reigning MVP. I am not saying it didn’t happen, I’m only saying that I didn’t see anything to verify Heyward’s comments. My honest opinion is that Heyward is frustrated. His defense gave up 250 yards rushing and reality is settling in. He’s about to join a dubious group of great Steelers who never won a Super Bowl and it’s not a group you want to be in.
Former Players Aren’t Holding Back
One thing about the media landscape these days is that everyone has a voice (raises hand), but social media and podcasting (raises hand again) have taken that to a new level. Ben Roethlisberger has never been shy about being critical of the team and he has company. James Harrison, who does a podcast with Joe Haden, has been brutally honest and critical of Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. Former offensive lineman Trai Essex actually got called out by Patrick Queen after the game and Trai stood by his comments. The bottom line here is that all three of these guys, and there are many more, don’t see this current team living up to the history of the organization.
One Damning Issue
Trust me when I say there are many examples of plays where coaches and players aren’t on the same page but none was bigger than the failure to stop the Bills from getting outside. Time and time again, Buffalo running backs would start forward and quickly cut to the outside and many times this was to T.J. Watt’s side. Joey Porter, Jr was consistently out of position or when he was, he couldn’t make necessary stops. He was certainly not the only one but the issue here is that the defensive staff seemed to be slow to adjust…. If at all.
Random Reads
The Steelers’ best win of 2025 appears to be the one they got in New England. Kudos to Mike Vrable who has his team sitting at 11-2 right now… The Steelers’ defense has been on the field for more plays than any other defense in the league… The strange part about the Steelers is that they could actually still win the AFC North and host a postseason game. Crazy as that sounds… Whether you like Adam Sandler or not doesn’t matter, he really is a good human being. I’m always impressed by the number of people from all walks of life that speak so highly of him… I’m already over holiday commercials. They’re as bad as political ads… Great story on CBS Sunday Morning about Metallica’s “All Within My Hands” charity… Does anyone just make a play anymore, high-five a teammate and return to the huddle?
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