A Question To Each Side...

There are some staunch Tomlin supporters and obviously some, um, not...so...staunch supporters. LOL! But I have a set of questions to each side that I'm genuinely curious about and have been for a while. My two questions are these.

Detractors: What would it take for you to join the supporters?

Supporters: What would it take for you to join the detractors?

I'm not starting this as a "bash Tomlin" or even "praise Tomlin" thread. It's just I'm genuinely curious about this and see different opinions all over the board and thought maybe I could centralize it here to see what it would take for each side. As for where I stand personally, I'm honestly pretty neutral. It's not like I want to wake up tomorrow and find out he's gone but, if there was a really great option available, I wouldn't be losing any sleep over his departure either. For me to join the "I don't want to let Tomlin go" crowd it would take a complete return to defensive dominance for a franchise that was built on... you guessed it... defensive dominance. Even as great as our offense can be from time to time I'd by lying if I said I don't miss the days of killing quarterbacks. It's just that that's what I think of as "Steelers football" if there actually is such a thing.

 

Detractor:

I've said for a long time that Tomlin seems like too much of a buddy and not coach. I don't know if that's because I'm older than he was when he started coaching or what

He has no emotion. When a cowher team did the crap they've been doing the past two weeks, you could just look at him and know you didn't wanna go to the sideline.

It's time to start seeing Tomlin call players out. It's time to stop with the stupid cliches on Tuesday afternoons. Time to stop with the whole "we own it, we'll evaluate and make necessary changes...." BULL****!!!! Nothing is changing!!!!

That's what I'd need to see...

 

I think Tomlin is too easy for other coaches to figure out and his record is starting to reflect that. The game plan doesn't change from opponent to opponent and when that happens, other teams don't have to adjust how they should play their game.

I honestly think this team will struggle against the 0-10 Browns because of this.

We're so predictable it's not even funny.

 

I don't know if there's anything he could do to win me over at this point. Wouldn't hurt to take some control of the team. Hold guys accountable for all the stupid penalties and mistakes. Do something. Good grief.

 

Detractor:

I need him to stop with the double talk and start seeing some evidence of accountability.

I need him/his team to become more consistent with HOF QB. Considering this is a QB league, he needs to win more division titles, with 1st round byes and consistently be a league championship game participant. Anything less than that is a disappointing year and he's done that far too often.

Needs to stop losing to bad teams on the road - we all know the list Cleveland x3, Oakland, Tampa, etc. - teams that they are much, much better than and consistently losing to them.

Needs to have Harbaugh stop walking all over him. Look at his record vs his biggest rival lately.

 

Steeler nation is divided!

 

I guess I fit in the supporter category now.

To become a detractor I'd have to see this team dramatically under achieve for this season and next.
If this team finishes 6-10 or something, and Ben plays the season, the heat gets turned up. I'd then give him 2017 to redeem himself.

Tomlin has never lost a team. Even in seasons with bad starts they typically finish strong. If that stops happening, if they continue to stink on the road, I'd start losing confidence. But it would have to continue in 2017, before I contemplate the axe.

 

Yo do know we've won just 1 playoff game (we were lucky to win it imo) in the last 6 yrs or so right? Smh

 

A super bowl run would definitely help with the detractor situation.

 

But to those who are supporters do you think that this team looks consistently, and that's the emphatic word, "CONSISTENTLY", well coached? In all three phases of the game? I know we have our "moments" but do we look consistently well coached?

 

In the consistency argument I'd consider myself a supporter of Tomlin, because these guys are supposed to be professional so they shouldn't need a pep rally to get up each week.

However, going for 2 early (particularly on the first score of a game) smacks of Tomlin wanting to be more a part of the story. I'm not explaining it very well, but it's like he wants to be known as a "riverboat gambler" or something. Like he's working on his own rep or legacy or whatever.

 

I do think his ego gets in the way sometimes.

 

That's $100,000 question.

 

If it is a coaching job to ensure they take a good angle to the ball carrier on D, I am going to say emphatically "NO".

 

LOL! Man last year I kept on complaining about Dupree consistently getting in the backfield. It was not the fact that he was in the backfield that irked me. It's the fact that he was taking 90 degree angles to get there and totally overshooting his target.

 

1 playoff win in 5 years i've been done for a while he could win the Super Bowl and that might get me to hold up on wanting him fired but he would still not be very trusted.

 

One of the top 3 quarterbacks of this era. One very fortunate playoff victory in the last 6 years. Consistently losing to (on paper) inferior teams. Inconsistency. Lack of focus. Undisciplined. Low football IQ. Making rookie quarterbacks look like seasoned All-Pros. Very high expectations and very disappointing results.

What was the question again?

 

Ben complained about practice, Bell said practices were sloppy, now James says they are quite bad. Sounds like he's already lost his team. And if the stains beat us? Oh man look out. Captain Obvious may be walking the plank of his own ship.

 

This. I think I would love Tomlin as a defensive coach of a true 4-3 team, he just does not have what it takes to be a head coach. Remember when Dick Lebeau was head coach of the Bengals?

 

This agree, things are getting stale and players seem to be talking more about practices, commitment. Seems like the players are not listening and he is close to losing them. If no playoffs this year a shake up and a different voice will be needed.

 

This is quite the thread BFT. Well done! Much appreciated!


I shall give you my response in a few days due to current technical difficulties.

 

The Steelers are currently 4-5. Let's say for a moment the following happens: They win 6 of their remaining 7 games to get division title. They than proceed to lose in a tightly contested home wild card game. Does that mean he turned the ship around and is suddenly a great coach? Or does it mean the team lived up to what they were supposed to be, ultimately failing to win yet another playoff ( Last year was a Bengals choke) game?

Long story short, it will take at least a tightly contested AFC title game for me to be a fan. I honestly believe the Steelers going on a roll and losing in the first or second round would be a nightmare scenario. Why? Because it will convince the Rooney's Tomlin is great and he's off the hook. When in reality, it's a worst draft pick, and another wasted year with Ben.

 

Let me put it this way.....I haven't listened to any Tomlin post-game interview for the past 4 years. I don't listen to any Tomlin Tuesday press conferences either.

Under Tomlin, the once mighty Pittsburgh Steelers have dumb-downed the lofty standards of old to mediocrity.