BATTLE: Mike Tomlin in facing an uphill battle to maintain his undefeated record as Steelers head coach, with the NFL throwing anything it can at he.
BATTLE: Mike Tomlin in facing an uphill battle to maintain his undefeated record as Steelers head coach, with the NFL throwing anything it can at he.
Mike Tomlin in facing an uphill battle to maintain his undefeated record as Steelers head coach, with the NFL throwing anything it can at he.
Whether you believe Mike Tomlin’s stint in Pittsburgh has come to an end, his third all-time record of 17 consecutive winning seasons is unlikely to be surpassed. Coach T is only two seasons away from matching Bill Belichick’s run from 2001 to 2019, making him a generational talent at HC. But a look at the league’s most difficult schedule makes you question if the NFL is attempting to end his streak:
As you can see, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a difficult but winnable first ten weeks of the season, which includes a bye week and a few teams that could compete for a spot in the top five of next year’s draft, namely the Commanders, Raiders, and Giants. But then the NFL came together and decided to fill the latter half of the Steelers’ schedule with not only every divisional game, but also two teams from the 2022 Super Bowl, Kansas City and Philadelphia.
Playing the Bengals, Browns, and Ravens twice is difficult enough, especially when they are stretched out over 18 weeks. But to have to play in football’s hardest division in just eight weeks… That is absurd. Sure, there are concerns about Joe Burrow’s health in Cincinnati, Deshaun Watson’s ability to play quarterback in Cleveland, and Baltimore’s regression, but two of those three teams made the playoffs last year, all three had winning records, and the Bengals, with a healthy Joe Burrow, have been a lock to win the AFC championship.
When you combine a Chiefs team eager to repeat and an Eagles club reloaded and looking to wash the bitter taste of last year’s ending away, it’s difficult to find a two-month period more difficult than what Pittsburgh faces. And, although I understand Coach Tomlin’s emphasis on not seeking comfort or wallowing in one’s anxieties, this stretch is extremely risky. What makes the AFC North so competitive is the ferocity with which each team plays, as well as the long-standing rivalries. This has two implications for Pittsburgh, in my judgment.
Either they develop a callus and propel themselves to the Super Bowl, or the club is a shell of itself as a result of injuries.
