Steelers: Mike Tomlin believes Pittsburgh will make history this year
Mike Tomlin is known for his phrase "The standard is the standard." Pittsburgh Steelers fans know that means championships are the goal, and anything short is a disappointment. So while the media may not be bullish on the projection of the Steeler's 2023 season, it's safe to say Mike Tomlin is. Diontae Johnson may have […]
Mike Tomlin is known for his phrase "The standard is the standard."
Pittsburgh Steelers fans know that means championships are the goal, and anything short is a disappointment.
So while the media may not be bullish on the projection of the Steeler's 2023 season, it's safe to say Mike Tomlin is.
Diontae Johnson may have revealed something he wasn't supposed to, but the more I think about it, coach Tomlin is probably glad that his number-one receiver feels similar to him:
“(Tomlin) was real big on taking this championship this year,” Johnson told reporters after day two of OTA's. “We brought in a lot of players this year, so we are feeling really good about this season.”
The Steelers are far from favorites to hoist the next Lombardi, sitting at 23rd and +6000 in the post-draft odds to win the Super Bowl. But that doesn't mean that anyone associated with the franchise believes that, as the mindset amongst the group is a collective one:
"Starting fast is more like a mentality, and that’s what we are going for here,” WR George Pickens told reporters. “We want to come out fast and open the floodgates. It is all about how we carry ourselves and how we take the field. When it comes to starting fast, it is all about the mentality. He (coach Tomlin) just wants us to start fast."
“Everybody being here right now has shown that everybody has bought in,” edge defender Alex Highsmith said. “We have had good starts, but we weren’t consistent after that. It is a long season and one week doesn’t make a season, but it helps to get off to a good start. Week 1 victory is important, but so are the games after that. We have to be more focused. You are all hyped up over that first game, but you have to keep it up."
It seems that between the words of Pickens and Highsmith, coach Tomlin has made it abundantly clear that the opening stretch of the 2023 season cannot mimic the past two years.
Both in 2021 and 2022, the Steelers opened the season with resounding week one victories, only to lose three in a row in 2021 and four in a row in 2022. And while late-season pushes saved their playoff hopes in "Big Ben's" final year, the same could not be said for Kenny Pickett's inaugural season.
So with their eyes set on Super Bowl number seven, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin believe they can make history this year, reclaiming the throne as the winningest franchise in the Super Bowl era. They have the pieces/plan in place, the odds stacked against them, and the chips on their shoulder. Now it's time to meet the standard.
