Steelers' Mike Tomlin bet on himself and won more than just the game against the New York Jets
Mike Tomlin gambled in a way that few NFL head coaches even dream of. Despite a 4-2 start with Justin Fields, he decided the time was now to pull him in favor of Russell Wilson, a move that was always a matter of when, not if. And after a dominant debut from Wilson and emphatic […]
Mike Tomlin gambled in a way that few NFL head coaches even dream of.
Despite a 4-2 start with Justin Fields, he decided the time was now to pull him in favor of Russell Wilson, a move that was always a matter of when, not if.
And after a dominant debut from Wilson and emphatic win by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the New York Jets, Tomlin is proving why once again, he will have the last laugh.
Russell Wilson Shines in Debut
After a slow start that saw the boo birds serenade his first time in the black and gold, Russell Wilson more than settled in, capitalizing off multiple interceptions from rookie UDFA Beanie Bishop en route to a franchise record for passing yards in a Steelers debut.
The move to make the change at QB by Tomlin was met with heavy scrunitiy not only from the media and fans but from those within the walls of the UPMC Sports Complex on the Southside:
What the hell is Mike Tomlin doing? That’s the question being asked around the league, including in the Steelers’ own building (and even in the building of the New York Jets, Pittsburgh’s Week 7 opponent), as Tomlin is set to make a curious quarterback change on Sunday night.
-Dianna Russini, The Athletic
And the thing is, Mike Tomlin knew it and he didn't run from the criticism, but instead, he ran towards it. After getting lit up by Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw on the Fox pregame show, NFL insider and close friend of Mike Tomlin, Jay Glazer shared a conversation the two had about his bold move:
“I spoke to Mike Tomlin about it last night and he said, look, 'I went lone ranger on it,'" said Glazer. "Terry Bradshaw, you're not the only one against this [decision to bench Fields], there were a lot of people inside that organization who were as well And he said, 'look, if it doesn't work out, I'll take the heat, I'll shoulder the blame, no problem. The reason why I did this is I know I had two quarterbacks going into camp that are very capable, but I wanted to see both of them before I made a long-term decision. Well, I haven't seen the other one. I want to see at least what I have from him, exhaust all option, and then make a decision down the stretch. I'm not trying to win games, I'm trying to win a world title here. I got to see what I got in both.'”
The Steelers are now 5-2 and atop the division as they await the result of the Baltimore Ravens game on Monday night. If the team heads into the bye at 6-2 down multiple starters and key rookies like Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson, Mike Tomlin will look like the genius that many already believed he was.
