Steelers' Mike Tomlin Receives Significant Praise From Former Super Bowl Champion

The Pittsburgh Steelers spent the 2023 season struggling amidst a complete lack of offensive identity and a crushing amount of injuries. Despite this, Mike Tomlin managed to coach the team to a Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills. After a 2024 offseason dedicated to upgrading the roster in key areas, Tomlin will have a team much more prepared for the challenge than the one he headed up in 2023. Tomlin still has plenty of doubters; however, there are still those who believe that the Steelers are trending upwards.

Ahead of a 2024 schedule that is sure to challenge the Steelers, the odds don't seem to be placing a great deal of faith in Pittsburgh to emerge successful. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Steelers 2024 win total over/under at 8.5, which Chris Long didn't appreciate at all. Long, on Green Light with Chris Long, slammed the low win total expected from the Steelers and cited Tomlin as the reason why Pittsburgh is sure to exceed those numbers.

"I can't, for the life of me, figure out why their win total's 8.5. Mike Tomlin, all he does is win nine games; everybody knows that, right? One more game to do it. How'd they get worse? They only need to find nine of them for me to be happy, and I'm not saying it's easy to find nine games [to win], but what I am saying is they got better offensively."

When viewed through the perspective of schedule difficulty, the Steelers certainly have more than a few tests packed into the 2024 campaign. However, Tomlin had an offense led by Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett, plus a group of linebackers who couldn't stay healthy, and still, Pittsburgh got to 10 wins and a playoff berth. There is a reason why Long is shrugging off the odds, and that is because Tomlin has made a career out of turning challenges into success.

The bar has been raised in Pittsburgh thanks to the influx of youth and talent that Omar Khan oversaw during the 2024 offseason. A brilliant 2024 NFL Draft has the Steelers set up to compete against even the most dangerous teams in the league. 

If Long is correct and the Steelers really have taken that step forward, the kind of results that the franchise is seeking in 2024 will be much higher. As impressive as Tomlin's stretch of non-losing seasons is, the fans in Pittsburgh want postseason success and to play in the Super Bowl again.

Thanks to the additions of players like Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, the Steelers have the feeling of a team that is hungry to prove how much progress has been made. Having a legitimate identity as a team is vital to achieving success in the NFL, and the Steelers have been floundering for some time. The goal was to get back to the bruising, blue-collar style of play and, on paper at least, Pittsburgh seems ready to see how true that really is.

Steelers Want Balance In 2024

To say that the 2023 Steelers were carried by their defense is a severe understatement. Offensive ineptitude handcuffed what the Steelers were able to do on the offensive side of the ball, leaving the majority of the heavy lifting to the defense. 

Pittsburgh boasts one of the league's most expensive defenses, but even a talented, star-studded group couldn't overcome both the offense and their injury troubles. If the Steelers are going to surpass nine wins, it's going to take both sides of the ball.

While the Steelers won't be relying on a new, upgraded offense to shoulder the weight of the 2024 schedule, there have been more than enough key additions for the defense to be able to breathe every once in a while. TJ Watt, Queen, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Joey Porter Jr. will be more than happy to do what they do best and shut down opposing offenses. Having an offense that is capable of managing the game, not turning the ball over, and scoring with some consistency is the key to a rested, healthy defense.

Pittsburgh has every tool necessary to ensure that 2024 is a huge improvement over 2023, but the schedule is long and arduous and can take its toll. If the Steelers are genuinely prepared for the road ahead, then Long's belief in Tomlin will be rewarded with, hopefully, a playoff win or two.

What game is the most concerning on the Steelers' 2024 schedule?