The Pittsburgh Steelers did not have an easy end to the 2024 regular season. In 10 days, they played three of the best teams in the NFL and then closed out the season with the hottest offense in the NFL. However, Head Coach Mike Tomlin, his coaches, and the players have all taken responsibility for their part in what went wrong, and there is lots of blame to go around.
Fans ready for the team to move on from Tomlin and his coordinators often complain about the complaints over being saddled with that compressed schedule; it also happened during the COVID season. It doesn't matter how valid the complaints are; the expectation is that the Steelers would win at least some of those games. Unfortunately, they dropped the season's final four games after starting 10-3.
In the recent chat column from Steelers' reporter Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he was asked about the complaints. The fan believes that Tomlin gives veteran players too many rest days off during that compressed time, which coincides with a "lack of swarming to the ball." Fittipaldo was asked if Tomlin prioritizes rest over staying physically sharp as the end of the season nears. Fittipaldo said he senses something different.
"I don't think that's it," wrote Fittipaldo. "They actually practiced in pads one day last week. I know some players weren't thrilled about that. I don't think many other teams are doing that in Week 18. I just think they need better game plans, better buy-in from players. I get the sense now that a lot of players are frustrated and not believing in the game plans."
This makes sense based on some rumblings that have surfaced since the losing streak began. The Steelers' last two wins were against the Bengals in Week 13 and the Cleveland Browns in Week 14. In the first game against the Bengals, the Steelers engaged in a rare shootout, with Russell Wilson matching Joe Burrow's touchdowns with one of his own. However, it was like a complete 180, and they began to rely heavily on the run game and hardly threw the ball, even when George Pickens returned from injury.
Pickens has proved to be very emotional and high-strung this season in particular. He has acted out numerous times, forcing teammates to get involved or calm him down, including challenging fans in the stands after the loss to the Bengals. There clearly seems to be something going on with him, and the Steelers need to get him involved to reignite the chemistry between Wilson and Pickens.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Won't Put The Playoff Loss Burden On His Players
In his press conference, Tomlin was asked what makes him confident that this team can win where the others have failed. The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. He said that he "totes those bags" and won't burden his players with the burden of carrying them.
In 2022, the Steelers missed the playoffs. In 2023, they narrowly made it and were blown out by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. There has been a great deal of turnover since then. They have a new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, new quarterbacks, Wilson and Justin Fields, and new offensive linemen. They also bolstered their defense with Patrick Queen.
While the roster still has holes, like a lack of offensive weapons and injuries on the offensive line, the team is a much better team than in recent years. While they haven't played well the past few weeks, they have shown they can fire on all cylinders and win games. They will need to get back to that to beat the Baltimore Ravens.
Have you seen evidence of the players being frustrated with the play-calling? Click to
