Behind the Steel Curtain
Ryan Parish and Ryland Bickley tackle the week’s hottest topics. This week: Mike Tomlin’s Coach of the Year case, red zone struggles, Hard Knocks stars, and more!
Following a Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens, it’s never been better for the Steelers in 2024. But there’s still plenty more to look forward to: marquee matchups, AFC North rivalries, in-season Hard Knocks, and of course, the playoffs keep inching closer.
We dive into the upcoming schedule and much more in this week’s Read & React:
RP: As much as I think he deserves it, Tomlin has aged himself out of the demographic for Coach of the Year’s usual recipients. Coach of the Year is an extremely narrative-driven award, and is typically given to the newest coach on the team with the lowest expectations to pull off a playoff run. We have plenty of examples in recent years: Sean McVay (2017), Kevin Stefanski (2020), Brian Daboll (2022), Matt Nagy (2018) and Jim Harbaugh (2011) are all recent examples of first-year coaches to win the award.
However, the NFL is open to other narratives as winners. Mike Vrabel (2021) won the award for unexpectedly leading the Titans to the AFC’s top seed in his fourth year. Stefanski won the award again last year for surviving half a season of Deshaun Watson quarterback play to make the playoffs with old Joe Flacco. Jason Garrett (2016) went 13-3 with rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott leading the way, and John Harbaugh (2019) got the Lamar bump in Jackson’s first season as a starter. Bruce Arians got the award in 2012 with rookie Andrew Luck and for filling in admirably while Colts coach Chuck Pagano missed the season while battling leukemia. Arians won again in his second season in Arizona in 2014. Ron Rivera (2013, 2015) got the award twice for holding the head coach title during Cam Newton’s two best statistical seasons.
All that’s to say, the NFL rarely gives coaches like Tomlin the award. They like new faces, whether it’s the coaches themselves or coaches with young exciting quarterbacks. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are probably too talented to get the 2023 Stefanski treatment.
Does Tomlin deserve the award? Yes. Will he be the Coach of the Year in my personal record book? Certainly. Will the NFL agree? Call me jaded, but I think Dan Campbell (turning Detroit into a dominant team), Dan Quinn (Jayden Daniels and first year with a new team bump), Kevin O’Connell (winning with Sam Darnold), or Jonathan Gannon (low expectations) if the Cardinals win the NFC West, will better fit the narratives the award voters tend to favor, especially if the Steelers drop a game or two during their insane December schedule. I think Tomlin’s only chance is if the Steelers win out.
RB: Tomlin is definitely a top candidate. The Steelers’ history means a successful season is rarely the story it would be with other teams, but...
