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Could Mike Tomlin's 15-year run without a losing record end in 2022?

Jul 27, 2022; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin participates in training camp at Chuck Noll Field. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Could Steelers HC Mike Tomlin's 15-year run without a losing record end in 2022?

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 8/24/22

Since taking over Pittsburgh Steelers head coaching duties in 2007, Mike Tomlin has helped lead the franchise to two Super Bowl appearances, including a championship win in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 against the Arizona Cardinals. While the Steelers haven't been back to the title game in over a decade, Tomlin has always had the team in the mix, as evidenced by his remarkable streak of 15 straight seasons without a losing record.

Pittsburgh has come close to ending the season below the .500 mark, going 8-8 in 2012, 2013 and 2019, while finishing just 9-7-1 in 2021, which was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's final season. Now with a new man under center (likely Mitchell Trubisky, though with rookie Kenny Pickett hot on his tail), Tomlin will face a new challenge in 2022.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell revealed his predictions for five NFL teams most likely to decline in 2022 on Wednesday, with the Steelers among the quintet.

"The team's reputation when it comes to drafting and developing talent requires no introduction. Tomlin is one of the best coaches in all of football. I take no joy in expecting the Steelers to break his streak in 2022, but this team has major questions on both sides of the ball," Barnwell wrote. "With Roethlisberger retiring, one of the arguments in Pittsburgh's favor has been the idea the offense was hopelessly limited by the quarterback, who had virtually no zip on his throws after returning in 2020 from elbow surgery. The Steelers were limited to short throws over the middle of the field or rainbow lobs down either sideline, while an immobile Roethlisberger was a sitting duck in the pocket for pass-rushers."

While Barnwell indicates that he "won't argue with much of that thinking" regarding the six-time Pro Bowler, Roethlisberger also was also a "far more experienced and effective signal-caller when it came to reading defenses and understanding where pressure was likely to come from." The scribe says that he expects Pittsburgh to have one of the worst offensive lines in 2022, which could make things difficult for whoever is under center.

"Now, that line isn't going to have a quarterback with Roethlisberger's experience and aptitude for getting the ball out quickly. They're going to be protecting for Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett. Trubisky and Rudolph have not looked good behind anything but pristine protection. Pickett has looked very good in the preseason, but he's also a rookie, and during his senior season at Pitt, the first-round pick held the ball for an average of 3.12 seconds before throwing, which was the fourth-longest mark in all of college football," Barnwell wrote. "On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers got transcendent seasons from stars T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. Minkah Fitzpatrick didn't make the Pro Bowl after back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods, but it's difficult to imagine them getting more out of their two star pass-rushers than they did in 2021, when they combined for 32.5 sacks and 56 knockdowns."

One other thing that apparently could work against Tomlin and crew is the schedule facing the team.

"Facing what projects to be the league's fourth-toughest schedule, though, it's easier to see scenarios in which the Steelers take a step backward. It took All-Pro-caliber seasons from their two best players on defense and a season-long tightrope walk against middling competition to keep alive their streak of .500 or better seasons. If Tomlin can stretch that to a 16th consecutive campaign, I'll respect the legendary coach even more," Barnwell wrote.

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