Peter King MMQB

Hey! Calling all loons in Steeler Nation ...
Coach Mike Tomlin, finishing his sixth season as coach of the Steelers, won't be taking his team to the playoffs. "Not our day,'' Tomlin said after the 13-10 loss to Cincinnati. "Not our year. Sounds like a broken record. But reality.'' I've heard from many Steeler fans over the past few weeks, and many are unhappy with Tomlin for not leading a talented team out of its funk. These fans are not just unhappy with Tomlin. They want a new coach. To which I say: Are you crazy?


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[TD="class: cnnIEColHdrC"]Coach[/TD]
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[TD="class: cnnIEColTxtC"]Don Shula (1963-68*)[/TD]
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[TD="class: cnnIEColTxtC"]Mike Tomlin (2007-12)[/TD]
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[TD="class: cnnTMfooter"]* 14-game seasons

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Tomlin's not only signed through 2016, but the Rooney family never panics after a subpar year, or after a subpar year following a year Tim Tebow beat them in the playoffs. Here's another reason Tomlin won't be going anywhere for a while -- a long while. I call it The Shula Defense. To the right, a comparison of Comparing Tomlin's first six seasons to the first six seasons of the winningest coach of all time, Don Shula.


Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nf...ay-morning-quarterback-week-16/#ixzz2FybE28vw

 

This was by far Tomlins worst season. He has lost complete control of this team. The way he handled the RB situation was borderline idiotic. Not addressing the back up QB with younger talent is faulty to a point too but I also blame Kevin Colbert for that as well. I've been watching the Steelers since the early 70's and the 2012 team reminds me of those painful 80's. I just hope we don't repeat that era.

 

Besides the injuries, dropped passes and fumbles, IMO what hurt the team the most was STUPID penalties! Who's in charge of fixing that? Every player that commits a blatantly stupid penalty should be docked a percentage of their pay. (Of course, the NFLPA would never allow that!)

 

It's not only stupid penalties, it's also that Tomlin seems to have no idea how to manager his personnel. Like numerous articles have said now, Mendenhall should have never been scratched or benched. He's very clearly the best RB on the team and gave us the best chance to win. When he got into the Cinci game, he made a difference, he averaged almost 5 ypc. He gave us a receiving threat out of the back field that we didn't have with Dwyer, an outlet for Ben to relieve the constant pressure. why would we want that though? Instead, Tomlin kept going back to Dwyer who did nothing all game long. Who knows, maybe if Mendenhall gets enough carries yesterday we would have had a running game and we might have won that game despite Ben's bad play, or maybe a running game would have helped Ben play better. We'll never know because Tomlin is too stupid to play the best players

 

A reminder about King- he is right more than he is wrong. He had the Steelers in the Super Bowl in 2010, when many thought they would not make the playoffs, and he had them at 8-8 this year.

 

Mendenhall was benched for conduct detrimental to the team. What, exactly, does that mean? Is he a locker room cancer like TO and Moss? Is he a crybaby when he gets disciplined? As fans, we'll never hear the whole story.
I don't agree that he is "clearly" the best running back on the team. He has moments and so does Dwyer. They both hop and hesitate too much at the line. Besides, with the way our "running game" was handled this year, how can you pick a best when they keep getting pulled out of the game.

 

How do you know players aren't called out?

 

Tomlin isn't going anywhere. He's the youngest coach in the league and is well on his way to the HOF as one. If he's not good enough, you expectations need to be reviewed.

Mendenhall is by far our most talented back. He has the same size as Dwyer but with more speed, agility, vision, and receiving ability. His dancing is irrelevant as Dwyer and Redman prove. He "dances" because there's nowhere for him to go. There's no difference between dancing and getting 2 yards and running straight into the defense for 2 yards. None. This is a matter of perception that many people always get wrong. When there's room to run, Rashard makes the most of it. His struggles have always been on the Oline.

 

Yes, Mendy had a 20 yard run, because Mendy brings big play ability to the table, something Dwyer doesn't. Who cares if he got dragged back by a LB, so would CJ Spiller and countless other RB's in the league, but I bet you would love to have him on the team. No, Mendy shouldn't get to do whatever he wants, although Ben and Wallace do so why not everyone else? Ben can fight with almost every coach we have and your solution is to just keep firing coaches until we get one that lets him do whatever the hell he wants. I see you've definitely bought into the Tomlin Era of inconsistent accountability. Only certain players are held accountable, others are above the team.

Mendy's usage does NOT fall on the OC. Tomlin is choosing the RB's, not Haley. That's been well established and Haley has all but said as much. He's been raving about Mendy since day 1.

 

Dwyer doesn't have big play ability? Who was that in his uniform when he got to, and turned, the corner? It's happened a few times. I say, make Mendy carry the ball around ala Tiki Barber and keep both he and Dwyer and let Redman go.

 

You can't be serious....The defense busted their a#$% and played great most of the season??? I agree the offense hasn't got on track but let me see, we lost the first playoff game last season when our defense couldn't stop the run so in trying to do that they allowed TIM Freaking TEBOW to THROW for 316 YARDS on 10 completions, a 31.6 YPC average. Then we come out this season and score 31 against the Raiders who can't seem to score 2 tds in any game but somehow scored on every single second half possession. Then we go to to the Titans game and we watch the defense make an aging hasselback look like a pro bowler. When the offense scored points the defense couldn't stop the lousiest offenses in the league and when the the QB finally gets hurt behind the aweful oline and we rely on Batch the D finally begins to play good. My point in this is had the D busted their hump all season this game shouldn't have even mattered but the let two lousy teams dominate and they lost their share. I will agree turnovers hurt the Raiders game but when you're up by 3 scores and you can't stop old Carson Palmer the D isn't busting their hump, they just aren't playing every game.

 

Funny, I've always considered Shula overrated, so the comparison doesn't mean much to me. The man couldn't win a SB with Dan Marino. Piling up wins in a 3 decade career only means so much...

 

Ego's lost this team! Too many young guys THINKING they were somebody due to a good year last season. Young Money got "cashed in" this year,and def broke! The age of this team was noticed by even the most casual fan, yet little was done to offset this, and notice the D had NO front pressure, so to accomodate how awful they were we had to mask our gameplan and drop guys into coverage who shouldnt have been 10 yards in the backfield EVER! DB's were fine this eyar and actually a bright spot. RB's were just a mess all year! Coaches decisions def didnt help this area of need. Mendy will return though, but id say some wont in the backfield? Tomlin lost this team if anyting by allowing HALEY to work here! Haley is gone after next week and it couldnt be soon enough! Just a round peg in a square hole

 

Tomlin didn't lose this team, I don't know a coach that can lose a team and still have the number one defense, if Tomlin lossed anything it was some of his fans.

 

If anyone has read any of my comments on Mike Tomlin, you know that I am firmly in his corner. This team has been the WINNINGEST team for the past 41+ years. This is not by accident. It is by design and good management from the top down. The "great" Bill Cowher had 15 years to win ONE Super Bowl. 15 YEARS! In those 15 years, he had at LEAST FOUR LOSING SEASONS! IF the Steelers lose to the Clowns on Sunday, this will mark Mike Tomlin's FIRST losing season. To think that the Rooneys will fire him is not only ludicrous, it is unthinkable. Teams have up and down years. Coaches make good and bad decisions. This disappointing season has more causes than just inadequate coaching and the Rooneys are not going to make the rash decisions and rushes to judgement that some on this board are making. They chose Tomlin over any other candidate for a reason, and he has certainly earned the right to continue leading this team.

In the end - there are certainly many adjustments that need to be made and WILL be made in the offseason to correct the failures of this season. We fans have become accustomed to consistent winning and I have no doubt that tradition will continue next year and in the years to come. Several months from now, we'll get to witness as Colbert makes some sound decisions in the 2013 draft. The front office will work their magic with the salary cap so that we are able to field a potentially dominant team again next year. Attitudes will be adjusted so that the team takes the field next year with the idea that every game is a playoff game and no game is unimportant. Will there be clunkers next year? No doubt there will be, but I have complete confidence that the core group of talented players that we have, along with additions through the draft, will be able to give us more memorable seasons for years to come.

Come on fans! Our team will NOT make us proud every year. It just doesn't happen that way. Instead, let's look at the tremendous potential of this organization from the top down and get behind each of them for the 2013 season. It'll be here before we know it, and I, for one, cannot wait to see them in training camp next year and on the field for 16+ games next year!

 

Awesome post!!!

 

Batesy, you are on fire today! Several great posts.

 

Bates, in this "fantasy" culture we live in, voices of reason will NOT be tolerated!!!!!!!!

 

Great post. Was going to post much the same thing, but you've said it far better!