Mark Madden on Steelers' losing streak: If they lose out, ‘they should fire Tomlin and Ben should quit’
The Steelers have now lost three games in a row after winning their first 11 outings of the 2020 season.
Don’t be shocked if they lose their next three as well.
Why not? The Indianapolis Colts are up next, followed by the Cleveland Browns. Both of those teams are 10-4. And the Steelers are fresh off a defeat at the hands of the (now) 3-10-1 Cincinnati Bengals.
Who knows? The Steelers may enter the playoffs as one of the last wild-card teams. Just three weeks ago we were trying to figure out whether Mike Tomlin’s team could get the No. 1 seed in front of the Kansas City Chiefs.
I bet the Steelers will then get slugged by whoever they play in the postseason.
Should that happen — and the Steelers close this season on a six-game losing streak — 105.9 The X host and TribLIVE columnist Mark Madden says it’s time for Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger to go.
“If the Steelers lose out and lose their first playoff game, they should fire Tomlin and Ben should quit. Because if they lose out, their version of this team is over,” Madden said during a post-“Monday Night Football” edition of our Madden Monday podcast.
Madden blames a lack of leadership within the locker room. He sees that problem manifesting in ways such as JuJu Smith-Schuster’s preoccupation with pregame TikTok dances and a defense that suddenly can’t get the ball back when it needs to.
“They don’t have leaders. They have veterans,” Madden explained. “Nobody in that locker room will lead. No one in that locker room will create an uncomfortable moment. Honestly put, it’s a team of punks that don’t want to win badly enough.”
And Madden says Tomlin doesn’t instill enough discipline in his club.
“This team has a coach — who may be good — but doesn’t have enough control of his team or enough discipline,” Madden said. “I keep coming back to JuJu. On a team where the players have any fear of the coach, that doesn’t happen. The problem stops itself.”
In this week’s podcast, Madden and I hit on all those points. We also tackle Ben Roethlisberger’s struggles, a cracking defense and the potential of giving the division to Cleveland.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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