Mike Tomlin's first-quarter struggles reach 64th consecutive game

The Pittsburgh Steelers overcame yet another slow start to take down the Miami Dolphins and stay at the top of the AFC North.

Slow starts have been the norm under head coach Mike Tomlin, and not just this season. As pointed out by NFL analyst Warren Sharp, the Steelers have rarely gotten on the board in the first 15 minutes of the game. In fact, their first-quarter struggles now date back 64 games.

Mike Tomlin has an unfortunate streak with Steelers

"Make it 64 straight games for Tomlin with 7 points or less in the 1st quarter," Sharp wrote on X. "0 first quarter points tonight. 2 possessions, 2 punts."

Per Sharp, that streak extends all the way to 66 games if you count the playoffs, and it's the longest streak by any head coach before being fired. That's just a reflection of the state of the Steelers under coach Tomlin.

They've seemed to be on board with this never-ending loop of being just ok, hovering around .500, barely making the playoffs and losing in the wild-card game. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Of course, that's not to say that Tomlin isn't a good coach. He has a great defensive mind, and he's made a living out of winning games he was supposed to lose. Then again, we're talking about a little over four seasons without scoring more than seven points in the first quarter. It's hard to imagine that's even possible, and the odds of that happening in 64 consecutive games might be minuscule.