Former member of NFL dynasty proves the Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in the past after blasting Mike Tomlin's coaching
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in a rut for almost a decade now. No playoff wins since 2016 have the fanbase reeling, yet the franchise seems content with the status quo. So much so, that former New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman said that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers run the same plays now […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in a rut for almost a decade now.
No playoff wins since 2016 have the fanbase reeling, yet the franchise seems content with the status quo.
So much so, that former New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman said that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers run the same plays now that they did back at the height of the Pats dynasty…
Julian Edelman calls out Steelers lack of changes
“You knew exactly what they were doing. And they still do what they did," said Edelman on his Games with Names podcast. They still do the same g**damn shit as when I was playing Tomlin’s defense. I’m like, ‘We still have linebackers covering the slot? Every time we play the Steelers, I have at least nine catches. You would think that they would change it. But no, they do what they do.”
Look, everyone has a scheme and tendencies. But what Edelman is speaking to is one of Coach Tomlin's biggest issues. He doesn't adapt. Not within the game, not within the season, and really, not much over the last 10 years.
It's a systematic issue in all honesty. Sure, the Steelers might like their QBs to be a little more mobile now, their corners to be longer and they're more open to taking chances on sub-6 foot WRs.
But they still believe in running first, controlling the pace of the game, and bending but not breaking on defense.
And those are all fine in theory. But the problem is, Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin specifically need a renewal in their process.
It's clear that what worked in the 2000's and the Killer B era, doesn't work in Pittsburgh anymore. So much so, that the first half of the Baltimore Ravens playoff game looked like a team that had all but rolled over, even if owner Art Rooney doesn't think so.
But if retired players are looking at the Steelers' defense and making fun of it for being the same as a decade ago, then what do you think other teams, coaches, and players are thinking?
