Mike Tomlin is Doing His Best Coaching Job Yet With 2019 Steelers
By Michael Luciano
He lost Ben Roethlisberger to injury. He lost Le'Veon Bell to free agency. He lost Antonio Brown because AB lost the ability to behave rationally. He had to bench his backup quarterback. He lost his starting running back in James Conner, then his backup running back.
After ALL of that, Mike Tomlin has Devlin Hodges, Benny Snell, and a ragtag group of Pittsburgh Steelers at 7-5 and in possession of one of the two playoff spots in the AFC, fresh off beating Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns, crawling back from an 0-3 start.
Tomlin has earned himself a great degree of deserved criticism for underperforming despite some stacked rosters over the years. When handed this shambolic situation, no one would blame Tomlin if Pittsburgh went into the tank.
However, Hodges continues to make plays with his arm, while their young defense, led by linebacker Devin Bush and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, is playing its best football in years. Tomlin, a defensive guy, finally has a unit that he can be proud of, as opposed to the ones that were routinely sliced up in the playoffs.
Tomlin may not be perfect, but everything he has touched this season has turned to black and gold. He should absolutely be considered for Coach of the Year.