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Dunlap: Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Got This One Wrong

Mike Tomlin does a whole lot right.

That's why Terry Bradshaw sounded like a jealous fool when he brusquely took a shot at the current Steelers head coach by calling him a "cheerleader" and generally insulting the guy when no insult was needed.

But with Tomlin --- who undoubtedly is one of the top coaches in the NFL from my vantage --- it doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. That is to say, I can think Mike Tomlin is a wonderful coach and the very best coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers at this point in time (which I do) while simultaneously thinking he needs to really tighten up some things (which I also do) if he wants to achieve optimal success from this current squad.

At the very top of that list --- along with an understanding of clock management at times --- might be Tomlin's penchant for not putting his foot down late in games and insisting some of his star players watch the remainder of a one-sided affair from the sideline.

It wasn't really a problem until the Steelers' 30-12 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his ankle dinged up very late in a game that had seemingly long been decided.

Why was Ben still in there? Don't even look for a reason; there is no good one. Seriously, don't search; there is zero justification.

What was there to gain? Same. Don't look for a reason, there is none that sufficiently answers such a question.

And all the while you know how this will probably go.

Ben will progress through the week and get better --- in TomlinTalk both Tomlin and Ben will let practice be their guide and the week will speak to them.
Ben will end up playing against the Chiefs on Sunday and the Steelers --- and more so Tomlin --- will have dodged a bullet after making a lame brained decision.

It doesn't make it right, though.

And, let's get this straight --- there is no one else at fault but Tomlin.

I have heard people try to pass some of the fault off on offensive coordinator Todd Haley, too.

Sorry. I can't buy that --- he isn't the ultimate boss, Tomlin is. Tomlin should have a better command of all personnel (especially the stars) and shut it down when things are pretty much decided. It should be Tomlin's call --- not Haley's --- to get the studs out of the football game. After all, wasn't it Tomlin's call to rest a player such as Roethlisberger in a meaningless regular-season finale against Cleveland?

I have also heard some try to put varying degrees of the blame on Roethlisberger.

"He should know better!" they say.

"He should check out of that pass play!" they yell.

"He should be smarter!" they want to shriek.

Uh, no. He shouldn't be in the football game at that point. And he shouldn't be in the football game at that point as mandated by his head coach.

It's on Tomlin and there is no need to look any farther; it is solely on him.

So while I'm someone who probably has more confidence than most in this city about Mike Tomlin's coaching acumen, there is purely zero way to justify his actions at the end of games with his star quarterback.

Maybe the end of the Miami win was finally the near-miss (pray to God it ends up being just that) that Tomlin needed. Perhaps, from here on out, Tomlin will be the lone vote in situations like those, come to his senses and tell his quarterback to grab a seat.

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