Hey Mike Tomlin, I’m Having Trouble Still Trying to Defend You

Trailing 28-0 at the end of the 1st quarter against a team you nearly beat with your backups a week prior? Inexcusable.

It's hard to feel like Tomlin's team came into the game prepared. The Steelers gave up 35 points to the Browns by HALFTIME. The entire season they had not allowed an opponent to score more than 29 points against them in a GAME.

And here’s the kicker (that one’s for you Jeff Reed) - they actually had a chance to come back and win the game, if not for a few misguided calls from the head coach.

Last night I tried to get the hashtag #TomlinPunted trending in full-force. Because the man who classically says “we don’t live in our fears,” absolutely lived in them for a full four quarters.

Down 28-0 in the first-half and faced with a 4th and 8 from the Browns 38 yard-line, attempting to get back into the game, the Steelers punted the football. Wtf?

But that wasn’t even close to his worst decision of the night. 

With the team trailing by only 13 at the start of the 4th quarter, with all of the momentum significantly swayed in their favor, Tomlin and the Steelers were looking at a 4th and 1 from mid-field. With an offense that was finding it’s rhythm in spades, in a one-and-done playoff game against a team that was possibly starting to feel the pressure and tighten up because of the uncharted waters they had broached - what did he do? 

#TomlinPunted.

On a 4th and 1. It resulted in a Browns touchdown drive that essentially ended the game and the season. 

Tomlin punted away maybe the Steelers last best chance at a Super Bowl in the Ben Roetlhisberger era - of course in more ways than just those two special teams misfires. His team didn’t look prepared or motivated, his QB threw four interceptions, and his defense which proclaimed they were the best in all of football, didn’t get Baker Mayfield on the ground once. 

So when does the big picture portrayal of Tomlin change? I say there’s no better time than right now. 

This narrative of “Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season,” should begin to reshape itself into “Mike Tomlin has won just three playoff games in the past 11 seasons with a Hall of Fame Quarterback and likely multiple Hall of Fame Defenders.” 

It’s also critical to note that in the Steelers last two playoff appearances, both at Heinz Field, they gave up 45 points to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and 45 points to the Cleveland Browns - both obviously resulting in fatal blows. That’s not against Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. That’s against Blake Bortles and Baker Mayfield. In your own damn house. Inexcusable.

We’ve placed plenty of blame on the lack of creativity from the Steelers decrepit coordinators, Randy Fichtner and Keith Butler, this season. It quite-often resulted in Big Ben calling plays in backyard-style for the offense, and Tomlin stepping in to do it full-time for the defense, much like we watched last night. So it’s easy to wonder why the hell are they even around in the first place just to take up space? At the end of the day, Tomlin has played a large role in electing to continue employing both of them. So yeah, that's on him too.

Neither of those coordinators should be back next season, by the way. Fichtner, we know for sure won't.

Mike Tomlin however, will return. In a year with plenty of uncertainty, starting at the top with Ben Roethlisberger’s future. 

I think Ben will be back, and the best version of the 2021 Steelers exists with Ben at the helm. 

The challenge is, with a demanding schedule that includes the Chiefs, Bills, Titans, and Packers - and also a gauntlet AFC North with Joe Burrow returning to the Bengals to join two teams, the Ravens and Browns that are still alive in the AFC hunt - does that mean the best version of this team could be just 8-8?

Or maybe even 7-9?

If that's the case, we can all collectively finally put to bed the “Tomlin has never finished under .500 narrative.” 

For me, it’s already sound asleep. 

Story by Yinzer Crazy Co-Founder and Sad Soul Today, Mike Nicastro