The ‘Greats’ of Wrath!
Steelers Nation…Winning Cures All
Head coach Mike Tomlin — Welcome to Steelers Nation, aka “The ‘Greats’ of Wrath!” With consecutive losses to 2-win teams, only the team’s third coach since 1969, has been vaulted among his predecessors. Steelers Nation loves a winner, and it wasn’t too many years ago, coach who can come up with the snappy post-game responses was endeared as a great coach. Winning a Super Bowl and reaching another are the types of results Steelers Nation gladly throws out the virtual ticker-tape along Grant Street.
Winning four in six-years turned Chuck Noll from a winning coach to (thanks to the late Myron Cope) to the ‘Emperor Chaz!’ Then came along the Crafton-born Bill Cowher. Sans the ‘curse of Neil O’Donnell,’ Cowher may have ended with two championship rings.
Tomlin not only now can be risen to the stature of the two former Steelers coaches for winning. He now has been officially lumped into a category each of his predecessors went through — the rock-strewn, potholed pathway to Steeeler Nation’s Wrathland! Wrathland, where the four-time Super Bowl winning Noll spent during the mid-1980s, escaped for what was a very short time, only to return during his final season at the helm.
Oh, those noteworthy QBs (where’s that ‘roll eyes’ emoji?). From David Woodley (the QB discarded when Dan Marino was passed up by the Steelers in the ’83 draft) to Mark Malone, Scott Campbell, Bubby Brister, and I’ll even through in Steve Bono during the ’87 strike. Tomlin’s current quarterbacks of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky (a castoff ala David Woodley) and Mason Rudolph.
Tomlin has Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the backfield. Noll had the likes of Walter Abercrombie, Frank Pollard, Ernest Jackson (a waiver wire pick-up due to Philly’s Buddy Ryan throwing one of his every week hissyfits). Tomlin has George Pickens and Diontae Johnson (with first-class tix on the Prima Donna Express). Noll had an aging, oft-injured John Stallworth and a young, oft-injured Louis Lipps.
Defenses that were similar to Tomlin’s current crop. Tomlin has TJ Watt. Noll had Mike Merriweather. Tomlin has Cam Heyward. Noll had tough-nut Gary Dunn. Tomlin has Minkah Fitzpatrick. Noll had an aging but capable Donnie Shell.
During Cowher’s Wrathland experience, in 1998 offensiver coordinator Ray Sherman had Kordell Stewart, Mike Tomczak (who beside being whipping boy for Mike Ditka in Chicago, is probably best known for the Sports Illustrated commercial showing him getting blasted while rolling out), and Pete Gonzalez. In 1999, Kevin Gilbride was the OC (no wonder Buddy Ryan punched him in Houston). Gilbride was a big part of ruining the development of Stewart. The positives during those two losing seasons were Jerome Bettis at running back, and on defense linebackers Jason Gildon, Earl Holmes and Levon Kirkland delivered.
Those 7–9 and 6–10 seasons lifted Cowher down Fire Noll Lane into a home at the intersection of Fire ‘The Chin’ Boulevard. Now, Steeler Nation wants the current HC to move down the next block to Fire Tomlin Terrace.
The Steelers organization doesn’t fire coaches. There are always tweaks to be made. Dan Rooney did so with Noll and Cowher amidst those losing years, and Art Rooney II is likely to come to that decision after this season with Tomlin. Tomlin, like Noll and Cowher before him, will make a decision on whether it’s time to resign. Paraphrasing a Noll saying, “If you’re thinking about retiring, you’re probably already there.”
Part of that decision may come quicker than some think. Is Tomlin able to connect with current players and get back to what the media loves to call The Steeler Way? Fitzpatrick’s comments this week about younger players needing to put in the work and become Steelers-type players was like a warning shot fired over the bow of the ship. I would like to think the organization will find out why that comment was made in the first place. Is the team scattered with more ‘shows up for the paycheck’ players? Tomlin’s been quoted as saying to players with questionable on-field results, “Don’t make me search the waiver wire!”
It’s time for Tomlin to act on that threat.
