Though the Steelers will head into their Monday night matchup with the Houston Texans with a 3-3 record, you would get the impression from the reaction of fans that they are neck and neck with the winless Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars for the first pick in the 2015 draft.
Listening to the reactions on local talk radio these days is pure gold, as many fans would just assume fire all the coaches and most of the players. That’s what happens in sports, fans react, and the reaction is normally taken to extremes.
Let’s be clear, the Steelers have not been particularly good, and their play in general certainly does little to endorse the notion that they are playoff caliber.
The frustration among fans is palpable, and when you have performed like the Steelers have for the majority of first six games of the year, in many ways, it’s fair.
However, I also feel compelled to remind Steeler Nation, who happen to be some of the greatest fans in the world, to be careful for you wish for when it comes to ridding yourselves of those you feel are responsible for this rough start. I say this because history tells us that often fans might not always be as smart as they think.
Those words might sting, but the reality is many out there seem to react without thinking things through, they are ready to crown a team a champion one week, yet are ready to clean house the next.
Nobody seems to face more criticism, that at times borders on completely irrational, than head coach Mike Tomlin.
Do I think Tomlin is devoid of criticism? Absolutely not. However, I’ll remind many of those who can’t wait to fire him and make the laughable claim “that he only won because of Bill Cowher’s players,” that these were many of the same fans ready to run Cowher out of town after three consecutive non-playoff seasons and a combined record of 22-26.
Many of those fans won’t admit that now, but I remember it was hard to find fans who supported Cowher during that stretch, only the wisdom and patience of the Rooney’s allowed Cowher to keep his job.
How was the organization rewarded for that patience? Over a six-year span, the Steelers were rewarded with four playoff appearances, three division titles, three AFC title games and a Super Bowl title.
Not bad for a guy most could not wait to run out of town.
Now it’s Tomlin facing the ire of Steeler Nation, and though Cowher had three losing seasons as the Steelers head coach, he is now lauded as a man who could do no wrong. Funny, you’d almost forget that Tomlin is yet to have a losing season after seven full seasons in the league, and has as many Super Bowl appearances, and seasons with 12 or more wins as Cowher did over his 15 years in Pittsburgh.
To be clear, nobody was a bigger fan of Cowher than yours truly, and I was one of those lonely people in 1999 and 2000 that sided with Dan Rooney, feeling that Cowher was still the right man for the job.
I’ll do the same thing again, and endorse Tomlin as the right man for the job, in spite of two 8-8 seasons, and a tough 3-3 start to the 2014 campaign.
Much like Cowher had to do in the late 90’s and 2000’s, Tomlin faces a roster of young players who will need time to develop and make an impact. He’s dealt with significant injuries to key starters on defense, and frankly, he’s dealt with some very questionable draft decisions and personnel moves by general manager, Kevin Colbert.
This team has a lot of new faces, and many of them are being asked to grow up in a hurry. Players like Markus Wheaton, Le’Veon Bell, Ryan Shazier, Shamarko Thomas, Stephon Tuitt and Martavis Bryant are all first- or second-year players who continue to learn on the fly, and in some cases, have struggled to stay healthy.
There has been a lack of discipline at times, and the lack of execution on the field can be maddening. However, that happens with a team with a lot of new faces, and many players trying to adapt to new roles. That can be frustrating for fans, and there is no doubt it can make the games tough to watch.
Just ask any Steeler fan who made it through the entire Cleveland game.
The hope is they will learn a great deal about what it takes to win games in the NFL, much like some of Cowher’s teams did from 98-00. It might mean frustration at times for the fans, it might mean some tough losses, but it does not mean you change leadership simply because losses are not what fans are accustomed to.
We’ve gotten spoiled in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have had one losing season since 2003, and only two in the past 14 seasons, a pretty amazing feat. With so much consistent winning, losing does not sit well with Steeler fans and it shouldn’t, but when it does, wholesale changes are not necessarily the answer.
Isn’t that what losing organizations do? How many coaches have come and gone in Oakland, Arizona, Cleveland?
Stability at the top matters.
Sometimes it’s the changes you don’t make that are the best ones. Tomlin will right the ship, but it looks like it is going to take some time, and might not happen to the level fans expect this season. That means fans will have to be patient, not exactly the easiest thing to do in this day and age. Sticking with Tomlin is not easy, but it might pay dividends for the franchise long term.
That was exactly what happened with Cowher once upon a time.
