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Mike Tomlin

Tomlin Promises Possible Changes (Maybe)

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Yesterday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin held his first weekly press conference. If you’re new to TotesStillers, let me explain that I have an almost masochistic desire to watch these things. It gives me some perverse joy to listen to his half-truths, non-answers, and (especially after a loss or two) the seething contempt Coach T has for being questioned by the sycophantic Pittsburgh Media. Which is my other joy; listening to what passes as “reporters” in this town lob softball after softball at him because heaven forbid anybody ever criticize the mighty Steelers.

Years past I wrote these long detailed posts following his pressers but it’s too much of a chore both for me to write and you to slog through. So I’m just gonna hit on the highlights. For example, this week’s began with a discussion of Thursday night’s loss at New England. Somebody actually did ask Tomlin about his comical clock management at the end of both halves to which Coach T responded, “I saw no problem with it at all.”Read More »Tomlin Promises Possible Changes (Maybe)

Michael Vick Signs With Steelers

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Oh boy…

Can we ever have one nice quiet preseason? Just one? Please? Is that too much to ask?

Apparently, Maurkice Pouncey wasn’t the only one to suffer a significant injury in Sunday’s game against Green Bay. Back-up quarterback Bruce Gradkowski left with an undisclosed “wrist injury” which has been disclosed to have required season-ending surgery. Which put the Black and Gold in the market for a quarterback. And they found one, oh boy did they find one.

Michael Vick has signed a one year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.Read More »Michael Vick Signs With Steelers

Dick LeBeau Has “Resigned”

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Good-bye, Coach Dad.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has “resigned” his position with the team in the wake of end-of-season meetings with head coach Mike Tomlin. No replacement has been named but it’s almost a foregone conclusion his protege, linebackers coach Keith Butler, will be taking the reins next season. The Steelers have blocked Butler from interviewing for defensive coordinator positions in recent years with the idea he’ll be LeBeau’s heir apparent. Well, looks like it’s time to see what the student has learned from the master.

At least this time the Steelers didn’t laughingly call LeBeau’s exit a “retirement.”Read More »Dick LeBeau Has “Resigned”

Why Can’t The Steelers Beat Bad Teams?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost four times this season. Two of those losses came against division rivals Baltimore and Cleveland. That’s understandable because division games are traditionally tough for any team, regardless of records. Their other two losses came at the hands of the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers (still their only victory this year) and the 1-8 New York Jets. And the saddest part is neither of those losses was all that surprising.

Since 2012, the Steelers are 8-10 against teams with losing records at the time they played them. You want an explanation for back to back playoff-less 8-8 seasons, look no further than that. Until they figure out how to correct this habit of playing down their opposition, they’re never going to turn the corner. The NFL is all about parity – some might call it “mediocrity” – where the difference between 10 wins and a playoff berth or 8 wins and a mid-round draft pick is your ability to win the games you’re supposed to win.Read More »Why Can’t The Steelers Beat Bad Teams?

Checking In With Mike Tomlin

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It’s been awhile since we checked in on Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin‘s weekly time-waster press conference. While I admit quoting some of the preposterous stuff that comes out of Coach T’s mouth brings me great joy, I must also admit it’s hard to argue with the job he’s done these past few weeks. Sure, he has two excellent coordinators in Dick LeBeau and Todd Haley (yeah, I said it) but the final calls rest with him. If I’m going to give him the criticism when the team sucks, I gotta give him credit when they win.

Coaches coach and players play is a cliche albeit an accurate one but a hallmark of good coaching is putting players – and teams – in position to succeed. While our coordinators have great leeway in their jobs, I doubt any major decisions are made without Tomlin’s approval. Rookie Martavis Bryant playing ahead of free agent pick-ups like Lance Moore or Cortez Allen relegated to watching from the sidelines are two of the biggest reasons for the team’s sudden resurgence. It’d be foolish to think Tomlin had no say in those moves. Likewise, I gotta give him a ton of credit for learning from prior mistakes and going for a kill shot TD to ice each of the team’s past two victories.  Read More »Checking In With Mike Tomlin

What Happened To Accountability On The Steelers?

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I’ve been thinking about all the problems facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Make no mistake, the list is long and the problems are many while solutions are few and far between. This is a franchise in deep deep trouble even if they, and legions of fans who still wear Black and Gold colored glasses, refuse to acknowledge it. The Steelers ship has hit the iceberg – a physical iceberg, not the Penguins’ loveable mascot, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the Todd-meister ran him over in his suped up El Camino – now the only question is who will be going down with the ship.

When I think about the Steelers sad state of affairs, I keep coming back to one word:  ACCOUNTABILITY. The GM stinks, the coaching stinks, the players by and large stink but I can’t help but think things would at least be marginally better if the stinkers involved were held accountable. Guys take dumb penalties and are sent right back on the field. Coaches call insane plays in important situations and nobody owns up to it. And players who can’t play demonstrate their lack of ability week after week with little to no repercussions. Read More »What Happened To Accountability On The Steelers?

Mike Tomlin Press Conference: Same Old BS

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I gotta hand it to the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. He isn’t totally incapable of learning from past mistakes.

Yesterday was the Mike Tomlin press conference. When the Steelers were coming off other embarrassing losses during his inept regime, he would use the occasion to make grand sweeping promises that he had no intention of keeping. First there was the infamous promise to “Unleash Hell” in December of 2009 which the Steelers unleashed to the tune of losing their next two games. Last season changes were promised in the wake of an 0-4 start yet in week five it was the same 22 guys who started and basically the same guys who played.

So what did Tomlin promise in the aftermath of the Cleveland Browns handing the Black and Gold their worst Rivalry ass-kicking in twenty odd years?Read More »Mike Tomlin Press Conference: Same Old BS

Mike Tomlin: Player’s Coach Extraordinaire

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Last week, I wrote a lengthy post about Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his apparent hostility towards being labelled “a player’s coach.” This week, I’m going begin by apologizing to Coach T. I’m big enough to admit when I’m wrong. He’s not player’s coach.

Mike Tomlin is a player’s coach extraordinaire.

Let me take you back to Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. Yeah, I know, I’d prefer to forget about that dull and uninspired effort myself although it does beat counting sheep for when you need to fall asleep. Fourth quarter, eight point lead, the Steelers had a 1st and 10 coming out of the two minute warning. Jacksonville was out of time outs.  I’m not good at the maths but I’m pretty sure the Steelers could’ve taken three knees and gotten out of Dodge.

One minor problem though: Antonio Brown only had four catches.Read More »Mike Tomlin: Player’s Coach Extraordinaire

Mike Tomlin Just Doesn’t Get It

JMM TOMLIN 11 03

Mike Tomlin held his weekly press conference yesterday.

Did the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach shoulder the blame for the team’s embarrassing effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Did he accept responsibility for the reckless nature in which his team plays? Did he vow to crack down on the showboating and stupidity which led to the Steelers being flagged an incredible six times for various personal fouls amongst the many other infractions his team committed on Sunday?

C’mon, this is Mike Tomlin we’re talking about. Of course he didn’t.Read More »Mike Tomlin Just Doesn’t Get It

Week 4 Recap: Black and Gold Disgrace

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Well, I hate to say I told you so…

But I did tell you so.

In the least surprising “major upset” ever, the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers left Heinz Field with their first victory of the season, scoring a last second go-ahead touchdown to upend the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24. While I’m not shocked the Steelers lost, I am embarrassed by exactly how they lost. I have never seen a more sloppy and undisciplined Steeler team. They’ve become a Black and Gold disgrace.

And it all starts with Mike Tomlin.Read More »Week 4 Recap: Black and Gold Disgrace