The Pittsburgh Steelers’ secret weapon isn’t a lot of a secret, in any case. American sports activities’ longest-tenured head coach is Mike Tomlin, who has stored his group within the playoff image just about yearly of his now-19 season profession. Regardless of the group having lengthy odds and low expectations to compete in a tough AFC, NFL Community’s Colleen Wolfe believes he’s the key sauce.
In a latest section on the NFL Day by day podcast, Wolfe gave the nod to the Steelers’ head coach.
“The Steelers, their secret weapon is the First Church of Tomlintology,” Wolfe instructed host Gregg Rosenthal. “This man handles the hardest of characters, and on a regular basis, and he does it with some kind of divine intervention. As a result of there’s no different means that you possibly can see how he’s capable of deal with such huge personalities and hold every thing type of so easy and underneath the radar. He’s robust, he’s direct.”
Clearly, her reply is just a little tongue-in-cheek, however the section was analytical and total, honest. Because the nationwide media likes to tout and the fanbase has discovered to detest, Tomlin has by no means suffered a shedding season whereas teaching the Steelers. Equally, however arguably much more impressively, Pittsburgh has performed only one meaningless sport, a contest through which the group was eradicated from playoff competition earlier than kickoff. That got here in 2012’s finale towards the Cleveland Browns.
Nonetheless, and as Wolfe later acknowledged, Tomlin and the Steelers have just lately fallen wanting expectations.
“If I used to be listening to me, I’d roll my eyes about no shedding season,” she mentioned. “What has he executed within the playoffs? How do they recover from the hump? Now they’re simply sitting right here ready on Aaron Rodgers. And in some way, someway, I do know that they’ll work out someway to not have a shedding file. Which is unbelievable.”
She additionally added that the Steelers’ persistently robust protection has performed a major function in sustaining success. During the last six seasons, Pittsburgh has completed prime ten in factors allowed 5 instances.
Across the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns’ “secret weapon” was having low expectations. For the Cincinnati Bengals, it was different groups having messy contract conditions, much like those the Bengals are experiencing with DE Trey Hendrickson, whereas the Baltimore Ravens’ selection was TE Mark Andrews embarking on a 2025 redemption tour.
It’s Tomlin’s and the Steelers’ blessing and curse. At all times within the hunt however unable to push previous the playoffs first spherical. The Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and New York Giants have all received postseason video games extra just lately than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
