Steelers Coach Tomlin Criticized for QBs & Culture

The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been one of the most consistent franchises in the NFL, and for all of recent memory, head coach Mike Tomlin has been the man in charge of ensuring the team stays above water.

The résumé is nearly unimpeachable. Super Bowl appearances, no losing seasons – the list goes on, a scroll unraveling into a path to Canton.

But in recent years, the Steelers haven’t won like a team led by a Hall of Fame head coach. President Barack Obama hadn’t yet left office the last time Pittsburgh won a playoff game (Jan. 15, 2017), and poor preseason performances from quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson haven't inspired much optimism.

For some, that comes down to Tomlin and an inability to put together an offense to complement the strong defenses the Steelers seem to return year after year.

Tomlin caught criticism from Colin Cowherd on Monday.

“They’re not the biggest spenders, but they’re not cheap and yet defensively, they’re always elite,” Cowherd said. “Yet they’re completely, utterly inept on one side of the ball. That’s on the head coach. He’s run through coordinators, he’s run through quarterbacks. That’s on Mike Tomlin. They are awful.”

There’s reason to be optimistic about the changes Pittsburgh has made this offseason. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is back in a post with less media availability and more time to draw up the kinds of plays that earned him a head coaching gig.

Adding two quarterbacks , both of whom are upgrades over Kenny Pickett, should lead to some natural progression. The offensive line is rejuvenated, too, after heavy investments in the NFL Draft .

But with glaring holes at receiver and some unanswered questions elsewhere on the offensive line, the Steelers need to give fans some proof of concept before earning back their trust.

The preseason has offered little in the form of reassurance. At worst, poor play up front and under center could end the Steelers’ streak of non-losing seasons (since 2004). But at its best, is this team meaningfully better than last year’s mediocre Wild Card Round fodder?

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Tomlin deserves a longer leash than possibly any active head coach. But that doesn’t make him infallible.

“So this is Mike Tomlin’s culture,” Cowherd said. “It’s his locker room, it’s his offensive coordinator, it’s his responsibility.”