For all the merit that Mike Tomlin has received having never coached the Pittsburgh Steelers to a losing season since he took over the headset in 2007, only one Super Bowl has come from it and the Steel City is getting restless with the ongoing methods.
Tomlin is known for doing more with less, but that strategy hasn't won a playoff game since 2016.
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The Steelers lost their final four games of the regular season and were bounced in the Wild Card Round for the fourth time in five years.
Now, Tomlin, who was a Coach of the Year candidate earlier in the season, is being questioned by fans for his philosophies of management along with New England Patriots legend Julian Edelman.
Edelman criticized Tomlin and the Steelers' defensive strategies for their failure to adapt, despite ongoing struggles. He highlighted how the Steelers' defense is stuck in outdated systems that have proven ineffective for years.
"You knew exactly what they were doing," Edelman said when speaking about the Steelers defense on his podcast Tuesday. "And they still do what they did. They still do the same God d--- s--- [as] when I was playing [Mike] Tomlin's defense. I'm like, 'We still have linebackers covering the three slot?' Every time we play Steelers, I have at least nine catches. You would think that they would change it but no, they do what they do."
Former Patriots Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia was on the podcast with Edelman, agreeing that while the Steelers are well-coached and their simple defensive approach allows players to play fast, it also limits their ability to evolve.
Patricia acknowledged Pittsburgh's competitiveness but took a subtle jab, noting that his Patriots teams always found a way to beat them in key games, reflecting the mutual respect and rivalry between the two sides.
There is some evidential truth to what Edelman and Patricia say; despite a roster full of talent, the defense continues to struggle, repeatedly falling victim to the same weaknesses. The soft coverage scheme, where defenders play too far off receivers, has allowed opposing offenses to easily move the ball.
Never finishing low enough to have a strong draft pick and not being able to make significant progress in the playoffs leaves the Steelers in a cyclical state of middle-ground territory, which one could argue is one of the worst positions in the league.
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