Tomlin is Growing Up as a Coach – You Play This Game to Win!

I have been very critical of Mike Tomlin as a coach ever since he took over as head coach of the Steelers despite his remarkable success in that role. I felt as a rookie he cost the team a playoff win against Jacksonville by misevaluating the importance of a 2 point attempt and then by being afraid to put the ball in the hands of his franchise QB. I felt that in last year’s Superbowl he panicked and started coaching a desperate game early in the first quarter and only down by 7, a decision that resulted in going down by 14 and a tougher hole to climb out of. I felt that over the years he coached soft with a 4th quarter lead allowing for potential comebacks, and I felt that he was slow to make mid game adjustments when the offence had difficulty moving the ball. Theses feelings are not the result of me being a Monday Morning Quarterback as in all these cases I was critical before the snap and the ensuing bad results. Last night however, the coach that took his team to 2 Superbowl in 4 years showed coaching brilliance that only a polished and superb coach can understand. Up by 4 and a 4th and goal from inches away in the later stages of the 4th Quarter, the broadcasters were all over Mike Tomlin for going for 7 when 3 would have all but guaranteed either a win or overtime. Had they been playing in Foxborough I would tend to agree with that logic, but great coaches understand the specific nature of each situation as Mike Tomlin did last night. This game was in Pittsburgh, in prime time, against the Cleveland Browns. You don’t play for worse case overtime at home against the brown to give them an opportunity for a lucky Josh Cribbs return. Conversely, you play for the win against a team who has not won in your house since Bush’s first term. You make it - game over, you miss and you have Colt McCoy (who will one day be a great QB) pinned against his own goal line and having to deal with a Dick Lebeau Defense. Going for it, despite not making it was the right move. I didn’t expect him to go for it in that situation but was proud of him that he did. In his 5th season, I am pleased to say that Tomlin has now graduated into and elite head coach.




AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!