Pittsburgh Steelers: No problem with Mike Tomlin addressing Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin received some backlash for comments on the Patriots game that has yet to be played, but he was only realistic.

Since his arrival, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has never been one to shy away from challenges. Through his tenure in the Steel City, Tomlin has failed to reach the playoffs only twice. Bringing the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances and walking away with one championship, Tomlin has already accomplished more than majority of the coaches who will walk the sidelines of an NFL field.

Yet, this is Pittsburgh, a winning town with a football problem, and the six Lombardi Trophies that Tomlin walks past every day in the Steelers facility provides a reminder that the only thing in Pittsburgh that matters is winning. Despite being a young and charismatic character on the sideline, Tomlin indeed has received his fair share of critics. Whether it be clock management, being too friendly with players or failing to make adjustments, some will never be happy with what he does.

This was more evident during an interview Tomlin did with NBC’s Tony Dungy, where he offered some comments on the gigantic Steelers/Patriots match-up that will be played in the upcoming weeks (per ProFootballTalk):

"“Man, I’m going to embrace the elephant in the room, it’s going to be fireworks,” Tomlin said. “It’s probably going to be part one, and that’s going to be a big game. But, probably, if we’re both doing what we’re supposed to do, the second is really going to be big. And what happens in the first is going to set up the second one, and determine the location in the second one.”"

These comments preceded words from Tomlin that also stated he believed his team can and should win the Super Bowl.

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Of course, this is when the mob of fans stormed in and blasted Tomlin for not focusing on the team’s next game against Cincinnati. Additionally, Tomlin got some love from outlets covering New England, with some stating that Tomlin gave the Patriots extra motivation, and how they were already in the Steelers heads.

The future cannot be predicted, especially in a league where momentum shifts from week to week. However, it’s extremely likely the top two seeds in the AFC will remain the same: Pittsburgh and New England. If both mirror their efforts up to this point, both teams will arrive to a week 15 showdown in Pittsburgh with the same record.

It would be ignorant of Tomlin to ignore the self-proclaimed elephant in the room. For those with concerns over the lack of focus week-to-week, if Tomlin didn’t possess that trait, he would have been ran out of Pittsburgh a long time ago. Admittedly so, however, New England has had Pittsburgh’s number. The Steelers are 2-8 over there last ten meetings with the Patriots, and that is where much of Tomlin’s criticism derives.

However the same people who blast Tomlin for not being able to beat New England are the same ones who are upset he is acknowledging them. It’s essentially a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario. This is merely a big deal only because New England has yet to give comment. Yet if you believe for one second that New England hasn’t even thought about Pittsburgh, consider yourself wrong. This is as big of a matchup for the Patriots as it is for the Steelers.

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Don’t be upset at Tomlin for only speaking on the inevitable. Tomlin has done nothing but be up-front when embracing issues surrounding his team, whereas a case can be made for Bill Belichick doing the exact opposite. Don’t like the way Tomlin handles business? That’s perfectly fine, but don’t be upset he handles business both on the field and at the microphone as well.

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