Why Steelers’ Mike Tomlin is my favorite to win his first NFL Coach of the Year award
Cameron Heyward stared at the four-letter message projected on the screen, wondering what it all meant. As Mike Tomlin — the master of acronyms and the most powerful force in the Pittsburgh Steelers universe — spoke passionately to his players about an upcoming opponent in a darkened conference room late last month, the light went on in Heyward’s head.
He’s talking about ME.
The subject was Dexter Lawrence, the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the New York Giants. The subtext was Heyward, a 14th-year interior lineman and three-time All-Pro, who was about to set a franchise record for a defenseman by playing in his 202nd regular-season game.
The acronym on the screen was ‘WGFO’.
“I thought, ‘What the hell is he talking about?’” Heyward recalled Monday. “And it was, ‘We’re going to find out.’”
Specifically, Tomlin challenged Heyward to prove that he could still play at as high a level as Lawrence, who was nine years his junior. And the 18th-year coach did it in his own inimitable way, mixing humor with cold, hard truths about the sport he loves.
“He finds ways to motivate every guy on this team,” Heyward said of Tomlin. “It’s about having a relationship with every man who comes into the locker room. Every day he has contact with boys during training, and after training he also walks through the locker room. He has relationships with everyone, and that leaves less room for chaos.”
While Tomlin, the NFL’s longest-running head coach, is one of the most successful men in his profession, he is also often called one of the least appreciated. Since taking over as Pittsburgh’s head coach in 2007, he has never had a losing season. Think about that: In a league designed to accentuate equality, the man hasn’t had a single bad year, with a sample size of almost two decades.
That’s crazier than a beloved establishment serving fries and coleslaw sandwiches.
Still, some Steelers fans, frustrated by Tomlin’s recent lack of playoff wins, continually complain about his perceived shortcomings.
Such complaints are typically met with eye-rolls in NFL circles, but a case can be made that Tomlin chronically receives less praise than he deserves. The 52-year-old has won a Super Bowl, two AFC championships and 188 combined regular season and postseason games, but he has never been honored as the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year.
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That could change in February. While there have been some great coaching jobs this season – from Matt LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell, Dan Campbell, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn and others – Tomlin’s masterful approach in guiding the Steelers to a 7-2 record is unparalleled.
To put it in terms he would appreciate: halfway through the 2024 campaign, he is my COTYSF (Coach of the Year So Far).
Mike Tomlin’s 173 wins rank 12th all-time in NFL history, the most of any coach who has not won the Coach of the Year title since the award’s inception. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Tomlin has resolved a potential quarterback controversy, oversaw the installation of a new offense and helped revitalize a defense with five new starters (if you count Beanie Bishop Jr., an undrafted rookie, counts). The Steelers boast the NFL’s most effective special teams units, and their only two losses (consecutive losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys) came by a three-point margin.
They prevailed in four other one-score games, including last Sunday’s thrilling 28-27 victory over the 7-3 Washington Commanders.
Suddenly, Pittsburgh, which has been successful in its last four postseason appearances, looks formidable enough to compete with the AFC’s best teams.
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The Steelers will find out more about themselves on Sunday when they host the 7-3 Baltimore Ravens, who trail them by a half-game in the AFC North. Still, for the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired in January 2022, they appear capable of winning big games without relying on their defense and special teams to carry them.
The biggest reason for the Steelers’ success? Well, there are two big ones. Tomlin has cojones. Unlike many of his coaching contemporaries, he is not afraid to trust his instincts, take his shot and live with the consequences if he misses.
He takes risks, and his players are focused on that too.
Sunday’s win over the Commanders came as a blowout for Tomlin’s COTYSF candidacy. The Steelers were up 7-0 when, with 5:16 left in the first quarter, they attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-15 from their own box. The play surprised the Commanders, but backfired when one defensive back (backup Miles Killebrew) couldn’t complete a pass to another (James Pierre, who couldn’t handle the throw).
Three plays later, Austin Ekeler’s 1-yard touchdown run tied the game. Tomlin didn’t stumble and said afterwards, “That’s me.” That’s mine, but I would do it again.”
The Steelers fought back from a 24-14 deficit and won on a late touchdown when Russell Wilson, on third-and-9 from the Washington 32, completed a high-arc deep ball to Mike Williams, who had been acquired in a trade . five days earlier and had never practiced the route.
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On paper it was somewhat ridiculous. In real life it was wonderful. And it never would have happened without Tomlin’s conviction.
As of last spring, Tomlin’s confidence in Wilson was baffling to many inside and outside the organization, considering how the former Seattle Seahawks star had seemingly regressed in recent years.
Wilson, 35, struggled after being traded to the Denver Broncos following the 2021 season. He seemed to have lost a step – at least a step – and to possess far less field awareness than in previous seasons.
Last December, Broncos coach Sean Payton benched Wilson — while his team was still technically in playoff contention — to avoid the financial impact of a potential injury. Given Payton’s reputation as an offensive guru, this was seen by many of his peers as an irrevocable indictment of Wilson’s abilities.
Tomlin saw it differently. When Wilson, released by the Broncos, became a free agent in March, the Steelers quickly signed him as the successor to Kenny Pickett, a failed 2022 first-round draft pick.
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Days later, they executed a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire Justin Fields, the 11th pick in the 2021 draft. Skepticism swirled from there. Many NFL coaches and talent evaluators speculated that Wilson would not win the starting job, even though Tomlin insisted he would enter training camp No. 1 on the depth chart.
When a calf injury essentially derailed Wilson’s preseason — and lingered into October — Fields seized his opening. His speed and mobility helped new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith craft an offense that created favorable matchups for Pittsburgh’s running game. By the time Wilson was fully healthy, the Steelers were 4-2 and coming off a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Almost no one thought Tomlin needed to change anything. Roethlisberger, on his ‘Footbahlin’ podcastsaid after that win, “All in all, I definitely wouldn’t even think about taking (Fields) out of the game at this point.” That was also the prevailing sentiment within the Steelers organization.
Tomlin decided otherwise, believing that Wilson — who won one Super Bowl and came within feet of winning a second — still possessed the elite qualities that could potentially help the Steelers elevate in the postseason. ‘I don’t try to win games’ Tomlin told Fox’s Jay Glazer. “I’m trying to win a world title here. I’ll have to see what I have in both.’
Mike Tomlin did everything he could to put Russell Wilson in the starting lineup. The decision has paid off so far. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
That’s why, Tomlin told Glazer, “he went to Lone Ranger” and made the move.
One big difference: the Lone Ranger wore a mask. Tomlin exposed his intentions and mentality to all parties involved.
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There was no grumbling or doubt in the dressing room. Tomlin, who has usually made the most of strong (and sometimes prickly) personalities – former stars Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and current receiver George Pickens are some obvious examples – sold the move in a way that some of are corny It would be wise to emulate like-minded people.
“All three guys – Justin, Russ and Mike – handled it with complete class,” Heyward said. “(Tomlin) said, ‘We’re going to see what happens, but we’re not going to forget what Justin did, nor are we going to think that Justin is just going to be someone who gets lost in the shuffle. It’s a long season and we’ll see what happens. ”
Here’s what’s happened so far: The Steelers are 3-0 with Wilson at quarterback. He has thrown six touchdown passes and one interception, and Pittsburgh has averaged 30.7 points per game in those starts. The Lone Ranger rides high.
On the other hand, the schedule is now getting tougher, including two games against the Ravens and clashes with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs awaiting Tomlin’s team.
Can the Steelers rise to the challenge – and win a playoff game (or more than one) for the first time in eight seasons?
As Tomlin would say: WGFO.
(Top photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
