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Is Mike Tomlin an Elite Coach?

I'm not a Mike Tomlin advocate, but let's be realistic here. Who, outside of Bill Belichick, has been as a consistent winner as Tomlin since 2007? I think by that default, Tomlin is a Top 5 coach.
 
Tomlin is no doubt consistent, but the organization as a whole is consistent. I do not feel tomlin maximizes the talent we have, where other coaches who may not have the W/L record of Tomlin but get more out of their players.
 
No, he is not elite. He is a very, very good coach, but not elite.

He is a Great PR guy and handles the day to day head coaching duties extremely well. He is well liked by his players (maybe a bit too much) and he handles the media.
He is not very good at in game adjustments or making sane decisions regarding challenging.
He loses to bad teams, consistently. Too consistently.
He does not bring his team prepared in big games.

When Tomlin came in (specifically in XLIII when we went down in the final minutes, under Cowher I would have been pessimistic that we would have won. Cowher was afraid of losing), Tomlin brought that confidence and loose big game attitude. When Fitz scored, I did not have that same oh **** here we go again feeling. I felt confident that we would come back and we did. That feeling is gone now, because for whatever reason, Tomlin's team just feels like they are the best team and will win by default. That needs to change.

If he would acknowledge his shortcomings, embrace them, and not live in fear of them, then he could get back into the lab and fix a few things. Then, he would be elite, obviously.
 
Why does Bellicheck get a pass on losing to bad teams, people here act like it doesn't happen to him. You guys are extremely biased against your own coach if you don't see it.

500 or worse losses for NE:
2017: MIA
2016: BUF
2015: PHL MIA
2014:MIA-500
2013 NYJ & MIA both at 500 thanks to their wins vs NE
2012 ARI
2011 BUF
2010 CLE
2009 DEN-500 MIA
2008 SD-500

Since their undefeated season in 2007, the Pats have lost to a 500 team or worse, every year. No team is immune to losing to bad teams. You don't play a team's record, you play the matchups and hopefully turn the ball over less.

I don't know maybe because Belicheat loses to one .500 team a season on the way to a 14-2 15-1 season and a super bowl appearance and Tomlin will lose to 2 or 3 .500 teams on the way to a 11-5 10-6 record with one and done in the playoffs. You think maybe that could be why?
 
I don't know maybe because Belicheat loses to one .500 team a season on the way to a 14-2 15-1 season and a super bowl appearance and Tomlin will lose to 2 or 3 .500 teams on the way to a 11-5 10-6 record with one and done in the playoffs. You think maybe that could be why?

Exactly!


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Comments from a long time sports writer from the Burgh......something to ponder

It’s a pay site but here is a cut of his editorial and site link.

“3. Mike Tomlin loses to bad teams.

This one’s becoming insane.

So we ran this graphic yesterday that showed the Pirates, to their credit, taking care of business against bad opponents …

… and we put a copy of that on social media, which prompted a whole bunch of replies about how it sure would be nice if Tomlin — not the Steelers, mind you, but Tomlin — would do likewise.

Well, for all of them and for everyone else who participates, a news flash: The Steelers and Tomlin are 14-2 over the past two seasons against losing teams.

Fourteen. And. Two.

Just because the other meme gets repeated and repeated and repeated doesn’t make it any less wrong, wrong, wrong.”

https://www.dkpittsburghsports.com/2018/05/17/kovacevic-stuff-wrong/



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Facts and common sense just ain't allowed 'round here when we speak of Coach Michael Tomlin...
 
I say if he wins 5 more SB's and never loses to a sub .500 team again he is one of the all-time bestest coach's ever!!!! If he doesn't ...well he just sucks.
 
I'm not a Mike Tomlin advocate, but let's be realistic here. Who, outside of Bill Belichick, has been as a consistent winner as Tomlin since 2007? I think by that default, Tomlin is a Top 5 coach.

Beat me to it.
Damning with faint praise, but Shades is clearly one of the top five coaches in the game right now.
 
14-2 against bad teams the last couple years? Man, it sure doesn't FEEL like it.
 
14-2 against bad teams the last couple years? Man, it sure doesn't FEEL like it.

The record appears to be accurate, and ironically, the defeat to the Eagles (who happened to finish 7-9 in 2016 before winning the SB last season) is one of those two losses.

I think it doesn't feel like it because of a couple near disasters in 2017 against horrendous teams, like the week one 3-point squeaker against a historically bad Browns team who has won one game in two years, or the 20-17 trimming of an eventual 4-12 Colts squad in which the Steelers trailed by 14 in the third quarter. These types of games (where they've been heavy favorites and managed to win, but not in convincing fashion) have helped their overall record against losing teams, but still hurt Tomlin's reputation.
 
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The record appears to be accurate, and ironically, the defeat to the Eagles (who happened to finish 7-9 in 2016 before winning the SB last season) is one of those two losses.

I think it doesn't feel like it because of a couple near disasters in 2017 against horrendous teams, like the week one 3-point squeaker against a historically bad Browns team who has won one game in two years, or the 20-17 trimming of an eventual 4-12 Colts squad in which the Steelers trailed by 14 in the third quarter. These types of games (where they've been heavy favorites and managed to win, but not in convincing fashion) have helped their overall record against losing teams, but still hurt Tomlin's reputation.

And that's a good point. The Browns do play us tough, but we find a way to win (outside of fumbling the ball 8 times). NE regularly seems to lose to Miami no matter how bad they are.

And I understand the difference between Tomlin and Bellicheck now. If Tomlin was better at cheating, he's be elite. Got it...

I'd say my biggest problem with Tomlin, is not being harder at expecting results from his coordinators. When something isn't working, he does need to get on them to change strategies in game.
 
Beat me to it.
Damning with faint praise, but Shades is clearly one of the top five coaches in the game right now.

Yeah it's difficult to argue. I hate the fact people consider him a "great" coach as well. The facts are the facts. Tomlin has won double-digit victories each of the last four seasons (13, 11, 10, 10 wins) and less than double-digits only 3 times in his 11 seasons. In any other city besides New England and Pittsburgh, he would be heralded as an icon.
 
Enough with the elite bullshit. Chuck Noll was elite. He won every championship game. Every one. That's elite. Tomlin is a pimple on Noll's ***.

And Chuck was coaching against about five other HOF coaches at the same time. What current HC's will be in the HOF? Marvin? Hairball? Belicheat, that's all I got, which is a travesty, but still....
 
The record appears to be accurate, and ironically, the defeat to the Eagles (who happened to finish 7-9 in 2016 before winning the SB last season) is one of those two losses.

I think it doesn't feel like it because of a couple near disasters in 2017 against horrendous teams, like the week one 3-point squeaker against a historically bad Browns team who has won one game in two years, or the 20-17 trimming of an eventual 4-12 Colts squad in which the Steelers trailed by 14 in the third quarter. These types of games (where they've been heavy favorites and managed to win, but not in convincing fashion) have helped their overall record against losing teams, but still hurt Tomlin's reputation.

Yep.

There have been countless games the Steelers have won over the years that almost felt like losses given how much they struggled against teams they were expected to roll over.

There just isn't enough consistency on offense or defense on a weekly basis.

Discussing Tomlin is frustrating because I know he's not going anywhere, while simultaneously feeling convinced the Steelers are never getting to the Super Bowl again with him as coach. I mean, the opponents scored only 80 some points in the Steelers last two playoff losses.
 
He's in the bottom half of the top 10 of the current NFL coaches but his postseason failures definitely do not put him in the elite category. I personally think having Ben masks a lot of his issues. The Steelers are a 500 team at best minus Ben.

Most NFL head coaches with our talent would look just as good or better.

Tomlin makes way too many mistakes, loses too often to inferior competition, and is 3-6 in his last nine playoff games. All of the above is documented. He is not a specialist capable of calling and designing plays for an offense or defense; he delegates this to the people he hires and doesn't call any plays, except for strategic decisions. His mouth seldom moves when the camera is on him; sometimes the headset is up. Rather telling, I think. Have you see Tomlin do any sideline coaching? Its very rare.

He's a middle of the pack type of talent, who if he were on a .500 type of team would not have lasted as long as he did.

He won a super bowl with Bill Cowher's players many years ago. He's also got a franchise level QB and a very good GM in Colbert.
 
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Most NFL head coaches with our talent would look just as good or better.

Tomlin makes way too many mistakes, loses too often to inferior competition, and is 3-6 in his last nine playoff games. All of the above is documented. He is not a specialist capable of calling and designing plays for an offense or defense; he delegates this to the people he hires and doesn't call any plays, except for strategic decisions. His mouth seldom moves when the camera is on him; sometimes the headset is up. Rather telling, I think. Have you see Tomlin do any sideline coaching? Its very rare.

He's a middle of the pack type of talent, who if he were on a .500 type of team would not have lasted as long as he did.

He won a super bowl with Bill Cowher's players many years ago. He's also got a franchise level QB and a very good GM in Colbert.

He's right.
 
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