Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Absolutely Awful Decisions Prove Ben Roethlisberger Was Right

The Pittsburgh Steelers are an unmitigated disaster. They sank into the AFC North cellar after losing their third consecutive game in Week 15. After beingbeaten by the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots at home, the Steelers found a new way to lose on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 13-0 lead, and fans of the black and gold watched in horror as they gave up 30 consecutive points.

Ed Bouchette, formerly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , took to social media to remind Steelers fans how far they had fallen. During the Bill Cowher era, the Steelers once went 108-1-1 when, at any point in a game, they led by 10 points. It is another new low for the franchise under Tomlin. What makes it worse is that it was against a team that they traditionally dominate.

The Steelers’ head coach has been touted as a sound defensive mind, but it has primarily been smoke and mirrors for the last seven seasons and maybe longer. Tomlin got too much credit for Dick LeBeau’s work and has been allowed to pass the blame onto Keith Butler and Teryl Austin. The Steelers were fortunate enough to land Brian Flores in 2022 in a move that Tomlin was praised effusively for making. When the 2022 season ended, he allowed him to leave for the Minnesota Vikings instead of promoting him.

Pittsburgh did have one small glimmer of hope late in the third quarter. The Steelers were down 24-13 and had moved into range for what appeared to be a long chance for Chris Boswell to get them back within one touchdown and a two-point conversion. Mike Tomlin elected to punt, and even Rich Eisen questioned the decision. Pressley Harvin III came on and uncorked a 22-yard punt. A deflated defense looked like they quit as they allowed the Colts to run the ball on 12 consecutive plays before “holding” them to a field goal.

Tomlin leaned on a tired and wounded defense, and it failed him. It was a horrible decision at that point in the game. The Steelers’ inside linebackers and safeties were decimated. The decision to pass on points with a struggling offense and a defense strongly considering picking someone out of the crowd to play safety at that point in the game was coaching malfeasance. A defensive coach was utterly clueless about the state of the unit.

Former Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger Has Harsh Criticism For Tomlin

Terry Bradshaw said it first, and the Steelers’ other soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, echoed it again recently and took a massive amount of heat nationally. This is terrible coaching. With respect to ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, “Tomlining” is having a talented roster and underachieving. The Steelers have lost three consecutive games in six straight seasons under Tomlin. That is every year of TJ Watt’s career, except for his rookie season.

During this putrid streak, Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, Devlin Hodges and Kenny Pickett have all been under center for Pittsburgh. There is one common denominator: Tomlin. It is not debatable at this point. He is a poor tactician and even worse game manager. The Steelers won the toss against the Colts and elected to put the worst offense in the NFL on the field first.

The Steelers have lost to the last pick in the worst quarterback draft in the previous decade (Brock Purdy) by three touchdowns. They have lost to two rookie quarterbacks. The Steelers also managed to lose consecutive home games to two-loss teams, and now, for good measure, they have blown a big lead on the road. They appeared to have quit on defense this week after Tomlin refused to let the best kicker in Steelers history attempt a 55-yard field goal in a dome. Boswell was visibly upset by the move.

Matt Canada was terrible, but Tomlin hired him and probably convinced Art Rooney II to keep him for continuity to develop Pickett. Congratulations, the Steelers have achieved it. They didn’t develop Pickett but continued to post three-game losing streaks, sinking further into mediocrity. Unfortunately, Tomlin’s built-in scapegoat was unemployed during the most recent futility. Pittsburgh is lost, and the Head Coach leads them deeper into the woods and snacks on the breadcrumbs he is supposed to leave to find their way back.

The Steelers have been bad on occasion since 1972. They have finished with a losing record seven times in the last 51 years, so the whole narrative on Tomlin’s ballyhooed winning season streak is wildly overblown. This team will likely be the first Pittsburgh team to finish last in the division in 35 years. The only difference is they were only four years removed from an AFC Championship appearance and rebounded to win a playoff game the following year under Chuck Noll after Dan Rooney forced him to fire nearly his entire staff.

Does anyone in Steeler Nation think Tomlin is capable of that kind of humility? The bigger question might be if anyone in the organization is concerned enough to force him to change. Rooney is just as much to blame for allowing Pittsburgh to sink to this level. The national media loves to say that if Tomlin is fired, he will get another job immediately. Unfortunately, that won’t be in the AFC North because he is now the worst coach in the division.

Roethlisberger was right to criticize the poor in-game decisions last week, and it is worth wondering just how long he has felt this way. Did he hold his tongue for so long out of loyalty? Maybe as penance, he should have to employ Tomlin on the Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger podcast. Spencer Te’o could use a good assistant, and according to Jay Glazer, he won’t be available for long once he starts looking.