After another, umm, eventful Steelers game on Sunday, I checked the comments to the recap on Pittsburgh Sporting News. It’s kind of been a normal routine for me after each game. Each week, or should I say, after each loss, I see the same comments over and over and over again. People want Mike Tomlin and Todd Haley fired, Ben Roethlisberger traded or cut and other solutions (excuses) that seem routine.
Now, I’ve been on record many times saying that the main problem for the Steelers failures this year is that the talent just isn’t good. As our Jeff Snedden wrote, it’s their time, as the parity of the league has finally caught up. But, after each loss, where is the blame for Dick LeBeau?
After giving up 55 points (a franchise high) and over 600 yards to Tom Brady and the Patriots, I saw one person mention LeBeau’s name, along with Haley and Tomlin. Just one.
Meanwhile, here is what the media expects to see after each article we write about the Steelers:
206 comments (and counting) under yesterday’s Steelers story on Yahoo. Gonna put the over/under on “fire Coach X” comments at 201.
— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) November 5, 2013
It’s always fire Tomlin or Haley, but never fire LeBeau
Again, I personally don’t think that a system that has worked for years and years suddenly just stops working and I don’t blame LeBeau, but why is name never brought up?
If Haley is the scapegoat (or any offensive coordinator, for that matter) when the offense struggles, why isn’t the defensive coordinator? Is it because of what he has accomplished since he’s been here? But if that’s the case, shouldn’t Tomlin be blameless, too, since this will be his first season as a Steelers head coach with a losing record?
The issue on defense, as it is on offense and special teams, is that the players aren’t good enough. Troy Polamalu looks slow and is at the end. Ryan Clark often times looks like the worst player on the field, but he’s at least taking chances trying to make plays at times.
When Tomlin was asked at his weekly press conference by a reporter if he was confident in LeBeau still, he said, “Certainly, because he’s Dick LeBeau. Does that answer your question,” in a cocky, pompous way. It’s a fair question to ask, and bravo for whoever had the audacity to ask Tomlin the question. While it’s fair, it’s obvious the players there just can’t run the complicated defensive scheme.
But for everyone who needs to use an excuse after a loss, why not use LeBeau?
At the end of the season, while Tomlin will still be the head coach (literally, he’s not going anywhere), Haley and LeBeau will both be gone. Of course, one will be fired, while the other will be asked to resign.
Looks like all the blame next year will go on captain Tomlin, or, you know, the new offensive coordinator.
