11/15/16-All Aboard The Fire Mike Tomlin Train

By: Mike Pelaia

The fire Mike Tomlin Train is revving up and about to leave the station. It appears it’s starting to pick up steam around Pittsburgh. I’ve been the conductor of this train for many years now and it appears that I’ve finally started to gain some passengers.  As we leave the station, you’ll have plenty of stops of which to depart on this trek to get Tomlin fired.  Are you ready to go?  If not, perhaps you’ll get on the ride after I describe each stop.

All aboard!

Stop 1-As in Mike Tomlin has one total win in the playoffs since the 2010 season.  In Pittsburgh, that kind of number in six seasons is completely unacceptable when the aspirations on an annual basis are Super Bowl or bust.

Stop Too-As in too many injuries occur under Tomlins watch. Sure, it’s a physical game but as Ben Roethlisberger pointed out, Tomlin runs these guys into the ground in practice and it takes a toll in the game.

Stop 7-As in Ben Roethlisberger, number 7, has taken a couple of shots at the coaching staff for the team injuries that mount up and the fact the team is undisciplined. When your franchise quarterback, who you’ve been with for 10 seasons, starts calling you out in the media, something is wrong.

Stop 10-As in Martavis Bryant, number 10, who is suspended for the year due to off the field drug use. He is just the poster boy for Tomlin letting the inmates run the asylum. The lack of discipline off the field with suspensions to Bryant and Bell this year; are a direct result of Tomlin being too soft on these guys from a disciplinary standpoint, they don’t fear for their jobs.  But the discipline issue isn’t just off the field; it’s on the field too with reckless penalties and shameful dances by guys like Antonio Brown. When Tomlin was asked about Browns celebrations causing 15 yard penalties, he responded with “What do you want me to do, not play him?” Uh, yes Coach, that’s exactly what you do. You sit him for a bit to send a message to him and the rest of the team. I don’t care who the player is or how good he is, the better the player, the stronger the message is, so yes, Coach T, sit him!

Stop 17-As in the number of teams across the NFL who have better records than the Steelers do nine games into the season.  Super Bowl contenders; at any point in any season don’t ever have 17 teams with better records than them.

Stop 25-As in the rank of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in the NFL. They rank 25 out of 32 teams. Mike Tomlin ousted Dick Leabeau in favor of Keith Butler and stated he’d be more involved in the defensive schemes. Oops. The team is getting worse by the week in this category. A once proud unit of this franchise, that used to represent steel, now represents Swiss cheese, you can always find holes.

Stop 19-22-As in Tomlins record since 2012 against sub .500 teams. You don’t get too far in this league when you can’t beat the bottom dwellers.

Stop Game Management-As in Tomlin has no ability to manage the clock or make in game adjustments, which is a huge factor in the team losing a lot of their games.

Stop Cliché-As in Tomlin throws out the classic “Next Man Up” cliché all the time but the players don’t deliver because he doesn’t coach them.

Stop Arrogance-As in Tomlins insistence on pushing through plays and schemes that consistently fail or his insistence on going for two points in situations that clearly dictate the team should kick an extra point.

Last Stop, 8-8-As in the record the team seems destined for this season.

I hope you enjoyed your ride and picked several stops to visit. There are plenty more stops under construction that you’ll have an opportunity to visit soon, until then, get on board the “Fire Mike Tomlin Train” and hang on because it truly is a bumpy ride.