Thank you Mike Tomlin

I would not be surprised at all if this is how it goes down (for Harbaugh too).

The interesting thing is that there are a lot of open coaching positions. Maybe one of these teams just backs up the Brinks truck for Tomlin or Harbaugh.

I also wonder if there might be some teams who are only kind of "meh" on their current coaching situation that would be making some phone calls behind the scenes for these two guys.

 

Well, I chalk up Cowher's lack of championships due to not having a franchise QB. He managed to get us to the SB with Neil O'Donnell. Once he got Ben, we went from 6-10 to 15-1 and an AFCC game and then winning the SB. Having said that, both are HOF coaches in my eyes. Sure Tomlin won with "Cowher's roster", but it still takes a great coach to win a SB with anyone's team.

 

I think it's interesting that you credit Cowher for the SB trip with NOD, but discount Tomlin's SB win (and presumably his SB loss against GB too).

How many of the best players on that SBXXX team were "Noll's players"?

• Dawson
• Woodson (made it back for the SB IIRC)
• Lloyd
• Lake
• O'Donnel

I'm sure there are more.

If your argument is that Ben is the biggest reason both Cowher and Tomlin won SBs, I strongly agree.

I also think that Ben deserves a lot of the "credit" for the losses we had in the playoffs where he had significant turnovers. Several turned into TDs for the other team and were the difference in the game (e.g., GB SB loss, Jax loss).

It's too bad that LeBeau is too old to bring back. Because he's the common thread in all our SB appearances since Noll left.

 

Thanks Mike

 

The fact the posters name is PickensBurgh tells me a lot about his character

 

When it comes down to it... the team Tomlin assembled was the Killer B's era ... and unfortunately it didn't lead to Superbowls. However, you got to remember part of that is due to totally unforeseen things happening: Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt.

Can you image if the Killer B's never imploded, and Shazier and Tuitt would have still been around with Heyward???? I think we would have reached at least one more Superbowl.

I think that is what I will remember most about Tomlin's tenure... the Killer B's era was amazing to watch. The team was tremendously entertaining, but unfortunately they couldn't put it all together and win the big one.

 

We certainly had bad luck re: injuries with the Bs. I wonder how many playoff games had all three on the field for the whole game. I don't think it's very many.

Agree on Shazier and Tuitt.

It is funny that under Tomlin we probably had the best offense we've ever had (killer Bs). But also the Mason / Duck and Kenny / Canada eras which were borderline unwatchable (at best).

 

Always felt that Lebeau is the best football mind of this franchises history. Better than Noll, Cowher, or Tomlin. Never bought the "Cowhers players" criticism of Tomlin. I will concede that Cowhers DC was key to both coaches championship success.

 

Thank you Coach Tomlin. I really respect you. You've done a lot of good for the Steelers.
But our sports team can do better. And have done better.

 

Wishing him well isn’t the issue. It’s idiots saying he was a great coach. Stop calling him a great coach. He wasn’t.

 

Pickensburgh is a db and I don't mean defensive back. I use to follow him on X. Funny how some fans point out the negatives only and never bring light to the positives. He missed two times to the SB winning one and also winning the division 9 times in 19 years. Tomlin was a good coach, I reserve great to people with a higher standard of winning consistently and being able to get it done.

 

I agree.
He was Good… but not Great.

 

He was a very good coach his first 5 years or so. After that a good regular season coach and horrible playoff coach. Overall he was slightly above average IMO.

 

Cool I get it. I just know with me it was doom and gloom under tomlin after Bill's players were gone and felt we would be outcoached in big games even when we had big time talent. With Bill he could scheme his way into being competitive without a franchise qb. I agree on him convincing himself to not put more emphasis on getting a better qb. The stewart experiment drained me in those days too and created a lifelong disdain for running qb's.

 

If Tomlin wasn't so darn good those are the seasons they should have tanked for a QB.

 

Only haters would say he was a bad HC.
I could say Cowher only went to the 1st SB with Nolls players. Many of Nolls players were still on the team in that 1st SB, and he couldn't make another until he luckily got Ben, but I won't. Why?? Because it's stupid, and illogical. We are soon to watch a SB where two HCs are in the SB with another coaches players, so it's a dumb thing to say.
Out of 537 HCs, only 27 have made 2 SB, and 5 of those 27 never won a SB, they just went. So to say a HC that is in the top 22 in the History of HCs in the NFL, is not a good HC, or was never a good HC is ridiculous, and shows the knowledge of who would ever say something like that.
It's that simple.

 

I agree.

That's all coaches do is coach the players that are on the roster. I don't penalize the new coach for being handed a good roster. It takes a really good coach to take a roster and help to elevate the level of play so that they are good enough to go to a Super Bowl or win one.

Somehow people try to bang on head coaches for inheriting a good roster and winning bigger than the previous coach. I don't understand what fans get out of doing that. Just be happy that the team found another coach that was able to bring high-quality play and championships to the team and to the fans.

After the initial run by Tomlin that won them a Super Bowl and got them to another in 2010, the team was completely retooled. They were a very talented group with the Killer B's. It has been documented here that they had horrible luck with injuries heading into the playoffs. Shazier was paralyzed. Tuitt unexpectedly retired. **** happens. It's not like the team was 100% healthy and **** the bed. The team always lost some of its best players at the end of the season, and it cost them.

When Shazier went down and when Tuitt retired, they were both star players in their prime that were suddenly not on the roster. Shazier was playing at a DPOY level on his rookie contract. You just don't replace that. Tuitt was playing at a dominant level when he walked away because his brother died. Not only did they lose that talent on the roster, but the team had to dedicate resources to try to replace them instead of already adding to the talent if both situations never occurred.

The coach didn't blow out Bell's knee. Tomlin didn't give AB a concussion. Tomlin didn't break Ben's foot. Tomlin didn't paralyze Shazier or force Tuitt to retire. Tomlin didn't overturn Jesse James' touchdown catch. These are things that just happen. All teams that win championships have a little good luck to help get them there. The Steelers were on the wrong side of luck too many times in the playoffs during that stretch. It sucks, but that is the reality of it.

Winning championships in the NFL is extremely difficult.

I believe it was time for Mike Tomlin to move on for a host of reasons, but I still thank him for the Super Bowl victory and the trip to one that they lost. He gets no deductions from me because he took over a good roster.

 

for stepping down...

 

Yes, I believe this to be true as well. 19 years is a long time and I wanted him to leave simply because his legacy was being tarnished with the long playoff losing streak.

 

Very well said.