I tweeted this week that I’d be more disturbed by the Steelers coming out and whooping then Jaguars on Sunday than if they struggled against them.
My reasoning is that it would show that the Steelers just weren’t prepared mentally for the Buccaneers.
That being said, last week is last week and the Steelers need to get things right. I think that a lot of what you see on the field is a result of a team that isn’t well coached.
There’s no better example than Le’Veon Bell getting a 15 yard taunting penalty, only to get a first down and make the exact same gesture that he’d just been flagged for.
I understand that sometimes emotions get the better of players, and even think Bell’s taunting penalty was pretty weak… but learn something from it.
Mike Tomlin needs to get control of his team. I would tell every player this week if you’re flagged after the play for a celebration, or for shoving after the whistle, or arguing with the refs, you’re going to ride the pine.
I’m not dismissing the Jacksonville Jaguars either. They’ve looked much better with Blake Bortles leading the offense, and the Steelers have a terrible record as road favorites under Tomlin.
A comfortable win puts the Steelers at 3-2 with the Bucs loss in the rearview mirror… but a loss would put the city of Pittsburgh officially into panic mode.
I’ll say I think that unless the Steelers finish with something like 5 wins, Mike Tomlin will not be fired after this season, but it might start heating up his seat.
I don’t think he gets fired, but if he eventually does we could look back at these two weeks at the beginning of the end.
Not that it probably means much, but a loss this week would probably send the Pittsburgh media and fans into an angry mob, calling for heads. Dejan Kovacevic already had a great write up this past week pointing the finger at Mike Tomlin.
It’s time for Mike Tomlin to stop with the snore inducing sound bytes about taking action, and being above the line and whatnot, and step up himself.
11 comments
Tomlin is only part of the problem. Kevin Colbert is ultimately responsible for putting this roster together. NFL & Sports in general are a “What have you done lately” business & lately, (last 4+ yrs) Colbert’s drafts have been below the “Mythical Standard” that we SteelersNation think there IS. Countless draft busts & awful FA signings & now he’s added Throwing STUPID $ @ these draft busts. We all know the Steelers don’t sign many FA’s let alone anyone from the Top Tier of FA’s. His attempt this past offseason was Desperation because of lack of depth & terrible drafts. Mitchell can’t tackle & takes the worst angles EVER, Cam Thomas looks like the laziess 300 lb paper weight, gets pushed around so easy, & Lance Moore hasn’t even seen the field, barely. And I think we can all agree Keisel, Harrison, Troy, Ike are all DONE after this season.
Nobody bats 1.000 as a GM, and the Steelers had a down period, which is why we’re suffering now, but I’m encouraged. If it wasn’t for Jarvis Jones looking so suspect I’d say he’s been very impressive lately.
Overall the 2013 draft looks to be a huge success.
Jones needs to step up. Le’Veon Bell might be one of the best RB’s in the league. Markus Wheaton is still raw but has the tools to be a really good receiver. Shamarko Thomas has looked promising and has been able to sit long enough he could step in and be a stud next year. Justin Brown is contributing as a 6th rounder, and Vince Williams has been a great 6th rounder…
It’s too early to comment on 2014.
You’re not wrong, Colbert could be nervous too, but there’s signs of turning it around for him.
Regardless of anything else being discussed only Mike Tomlin is responsible for the game plan and the play calling on both sides of the ball. Under owher the Steelers were excellent at making adjustments at halftime but now the other teams keep making those adjustments. Just look at every game played to see the difference in the 2nd half on both offense and defense. The Steelers are just plain being out coached. With the talent they have they should be an elite team and it’s obvious that they are not.
Good write up Chris. The only that scares me more than going to Oakland is going to J-Ville. Obviously Tomlin will not get canned in-season if things spiral out of control because that just isn’t how the Rooneys do things. I huge collapse though? End of the season could be ugly.
I can almost excuse Oakland, because any team traveling that far is likely to struggle.
JAX I don’t know what their deal is. Back in the day they were a much stronger team but the Steelers were usually better and still got beat. It’s funny… I used to not fear ANY running back with our defenses. We’d be playing Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes, Curtis Martin… who cares, but Fred Taylor, he scared me.
Right now we are feeling the sting of poor drafting. But a couple of wins will quiet that. We have a very weak schedule and making the playoff is very do-able. But it’s only going to prolong fixing the problem of drafting poorly. Yes Bell has had a decent start to the season but let’s see where things sit by seasons end, before placing him as one of the games best. The biggest problems right now are the illusion of the no huddle offense[which it isn’t] , the lack of cover CB’s and a pass rush. The funny thing is didn’t we already know this coming into the season.This team is a few seasons away from contending if every thing goes right which it rarely does. BTW no on this o-line is playing on a all pro level Pouncey is above average and DeCastro is average everyone else is playing below the Mendoza line.
Decent, seriously? In just over a full season (17 games) he has 1238 yards, 9 touchdowns, 64 catches, and 591 receiving yards… I’d say that’s better than decent.
Yes decent, 1238 yards in 17 games is decent. He is getting the lions share if not more of the work. And yes he has shown some flashes of brilliance as well if not more game like the one he put up against the Bucs. If fact if you take the 63 yards he gained against the Bucs times it by 17 you get 1,071 pretty much what i am saying is rather pedestrian.
The younger players have got to produce. When you get drafted into the NFL .It is time to forget college good times.You were bought here to play better than college ball. That is why you were picked. Tomlin can only lead .He is suppose to put the best players on the field. Right after the Steelers sign a player that player should get a book of plays an by spring training. He should know the plays if not than he should be sent home an paid no money. They bare PRO FOOTBALL PLAYERS .They are suppose to be paid for their work. The Steeler nation want wins not excuses. No production ….NO Pay ….That includes Tomlin….Colbert……this excludes the Rooney family
anyone who thinks tomlin would ever be fired, is drinking too much mon river water. tomlin is the rooney’s poster child. this is their legacy. THE ROONEY RULE. they can go to those owners meeting, stick their chests out and say”we are not racists. if you think the rooney’s
give a twit about winning, i feel sorry for you. it’s abusiness where you make as much for winning or losing. remember when spygate hit and it sure looked like new eng. f—ed the steelers out of two playoff games and old rooney said move along nothing to see here they are our partners. tomlin will never get fired. at most he’ll get promoted. might even get art ass—e 2’s job. probably give him a % of ownership.
If you truly think that the Rooney family doesn’t care about winning or the team, then I suggest you do some reading, because that’s a pretty uninformed comment. Their Life’s Work is a good start.