The Pittsburgh Steelers have defied the odds, kicking off their season with an impressive three-game winning streak. The journey began in Week 1 when Pittsburgh went on the road face the Atlanta Falcons, where they were seen as underdogs. Despite the expectations, the Steelers, led by quarterback Justin Fields, pulled off a remarkable victory.
In Week 2, they continued their momentum with a road win against the Denver Broncos. The following week, Pittsburgh opened up at home to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. While the Steelers haven't experienced an offensive explosion, they have maintained control in each game, thanks largely to their dominant defense.
Recently, former Steelers defensive back Patrick Peterson joined Andrew Fillipponi on the 1st & Pod podcast. When Fillipponi posed the question of who deserves the most credit for the Steelers' 3-0 start—TJ Watt or Mike Tomlin—Peterson didn't hesitate. He confidently declared that it's Tomlin who deserves the credit.
"Mike Tomlin. Yeah Mike T., just Coach T. does such a great job of getting the guys prepared to capture that victory on Sunday. Just the process, the way he is able to get guys to be laser focused on a specific task."
There has been considerable debate surrounding Tomlin recently. Consistently regarded as one of the best head coaches in the NFL, Tomlin has faced scrutiny due to his team's inability to win a playoff game since the 2016 season. Despite this lack of postseason success, he has remarkably never had a losing season in his 17 years as the Steelers' head coach—a trend he hopes to maintain in 2024.
Peterson has not held back in praising Tomlin's greatness, emphasizing the impact he has made on the team and the league.
"We know what the objective is and that’s to pursue victory. He does a great job of outlining the plan to capture victory each and every week. No matter what situation it is, what the circumstances are or who’s in the lineup, he’s going to get his team prepared the best way he can to go out and compete their tails off."
Peterson made it clear that he doesn't want to diminish Watt's greatness. Watt has somehow improved each year, boasting an impressive career total of 99.5 sacks. Peterson went on to say that Watt is the greatest defensive player he has ever played with. However, he still credited Tomlin more for the team's strong start to the season.
"TJ is a great player. Don’t get me wrong. TJ is the best defensive player in the league and definitely the best defensive player I have ever played with, so I’m not taking anything away from him."
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Under A Lot Of Pressure To Win Now
While Peterson offers high praise for Tomlin, not everyone shares that sentiment. Some pundits and fans believe Tomlin struggles to adequately prepare his team, leading to considerable criticism in recent years.
In 2024, Tomlin will aim to end the playoff drought and return the Steelers to the Super Bowl conversation. If he succeeds, it will silence many of his doubters. However, if Tomlin fails to secure a playoff win this season, the critiques are likely to intensify.
