Pittsburgh Steelers Face Struggles in Post-Mike Tomlin Era

The Pittsburgh Steelers are encountering challenges as they transition from the era of former coach Mike Tomlin. In their opening game, the team secured a straightforward win against the Atlanta Falcons. However, their performance in Week 2 told a different story as they suffered a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots.

The Steelers’ offense struggled significantly, managing only 235 yards. Jaylen Warren, the running back, stood out as the only player with more than 44 offensive yards. This lackluster performance sparked a pointed critique from Mike Tomlin during NBC’s “Football Night in America.”

“From my perspective, they don’t have a place to hang their hat,” Tomlin stated. “They haven’t established the run, they’re not performing well on third down…and to make matters worse, they’re not getting yards in chunks. Sometimes when you get yards in chunks, it can cover up some other inadequacies. They can’t solve all their problems, but they better solve at least one of these problems — and really soon.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also voiced his dissatisfaction. He pointed to head coach Mike McCarthy, criticizing the play-calling decisions which he felt did not position the Steelers to compete effectively.

“In a game like today where there wasn’t a lot of flow to it, we need to be better — and it starts with me,” Rodgers said. “I need to be better about making sure Mike knows what’s working, what’s not working, our coaches know, and so we can call stuff that we feel like has a better chance (to win).”

Despite injuries impacting the team last year under Tomlin, their offensive statistics were notably stronger. They averaged 316.9 yards and 23.4 points per game. Currently, with McCarthy, the team is averaging just 249.5 yards and 11.5 points per game in their first two matches.