Insider Gives Bad Report on Mike Tomlin Coaching Philosophy

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The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac reported several sources had a very negative review of Mike Tomlin's offensive and defensive philosophy.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers have argued for years the team’s offense has lacked innovation. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on January 24 that “several sources” agree that Mike Tomlin’s offense could be more complicated.

But Dulac added his sources argued the Steelers defense is stale too.

“Several sources have told the Post-Gazette the offense and defense lack imagination and have become too predictable,” wrote Dulac on January 24.

“Offensively, there is disconnect between [Russell] Wilson and coordinator Arthur Smith about the way the passing game should operate. Defensively, the Steelers rarely blitz and get after the quarterback, especially when teams are making sure to keep T.J. Watt out of the backfield.”

With the talent and money invested at edge rusher, the Steelers are expected to be among the leaders in sacks and pressure rate. But in 2024, the Steelers were middle of the road with 40 sacks and a 22% pressure rate.

Pittsburgh was ranked 17th in both categories.

All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt finished with 11.5 sacks in 2024. By no means is that a bad season, but that was his fewest in a campaign where he played at least 15 games since his 2017 rookie season.

Concerning Lack of Blitz Rate With Mike Tomlin’s Defense

When Tomlin began his Steelers tenure, he kept incumbent defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. So, the “Blitzburg” tradition established in the 1990s continued, propelling the team to the top of almost every defensive category and a Super Bowl victory in 2009.

Under LeBeau’s replacement, Keith Butler, who was a LeBeau’s disciple, the Steelers continued to blitz a healthy amount. As a result, the Steelers led the NFL in sacks for five consecutive seasons from 2017-21.

That dominance directly coincided with Watt’s arrival in Pittsburgh. So, it’s easy to create the 4-time first-team All-Pro edge rusher with that sack run.

But after Butler retired following the 2021 season, the Steelers pass rushing numbers immediately declined. Under new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin in 2022, the Steelers fell to 16th in sacks.

To be fair to Austin, Watt missed a bulk of the season because of injuries. Austin’s defense in 2022 and 2023 was still ranked sixth in blitz rate.

The unit, though, dropped to 12th in blitz rate during 2024.

Far too often, Tomlin and Austin’s game plan was to count on Watt and/or Alex Highsmith beating the opposition’s offensive tackles. That proved more and more difficult for Watt in 2024, as more opponents used tight ends to chip the All-Pro away from the quarterback.

Will T.J. Watt Move Around the Defensive Formation More in 2025?

Opposing offenses very likely found it easier to chip Watt because the edge rusher didn’t move around very often in Pittsburgh’s defensive formations. One could blame Austin and Tomlin for that. But Steelers insider Mark Kaboly also explained Watt has been part of why he’s often lined up in the same place.

“I don’t know how much he wants to do that,” Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show on November 25. “I think partially it has to do with him. He just likes coming from…I mean you remember his rookie year, he was on the other side, didn’t really like it. They flipped him and Bud Dupree and then all of a sudden he took off.

“But at this point, you’re gonna have to do something a little different. I guarantee if you ask Teryl Austin, he’d be like, ‘Oh we move him around.’ Yeah, you move him around two or three times a game, if that.”

Interestingly, Watt told reporters after the disappointing end to the 2024 season he is open to adapting to get better.

“I need to be more open to moving around more and trying to affect games as much as possible,” Watt said, via Steelers SI.com’s Ari Meyer. “You guys know I wanna affect the game more than anybody, but I don’t wanna selfishly take another guy’s, go to a different spot where I feel like I could have a better rush than on the left side.”

With Watt and other players, the Steelers could use more imagination on defense, just like they could on offense. Tomlin’s roster is not nearly talented enough to win on a regular basis without help from a schematic standpoint.