Tim Benz: Steelers finished strong in '22, but their trend of awful starts needs to change

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2022 season winning seven of nine games.

As a result, some NFL fans and media members are lobbying for Mike Tomlin to win Coach of the Year.

That’s ridiculous. Tomlin had a squad that was 9-7-1 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2021. This year’s team went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. How is that Coach of the Year worthy?

Mike Tomlin is the Coach of the Year, end of story. One of the best coaching jobs ever. His team improved 1000 percent over the 17 weeks. I don't have a vote, but he should win.

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) January 9, 2023

As much as I hate the Steelers, Mike Tomlin deserves coach of the year recognition. Ain't no way he won 9 games with that offense lol

— Bari (@ImCooLikeTht) January 8, 2023

Mike Tomlin should be coach of the year for the turnaround that happened this year. Just remarkable. #HereWeGo

Also, has Canada been fired yet or what?!?

— Mikey K (@mikeyk_syf) January 9, 2023

Mike Tomlin is hands down the coach of the year in the @NFL what a unbelievable job this man did with a young and learning offense !! Never backed down and continued to win and to finish over .500 again !!! Unbelievable yet again that’s why he is a @ProFootballHOF coach !!

— TOMMY G (@5on3powerplay) January 10, 2023

Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. Mike Tomlin deserves coach of the year this year and it's not even close.

— jatovi (@jatovi) January 8, 2023

Indeed, Tomlin had challenges. New quarterback. New general manager. Significant roster changeover on offense. T.J. Watt’s injury on defense.

But look at some other candidates for Coach of the Year.

• Detroit’s Dan Campbell also guided his team to 9-8 and within one spot of the playoffs. But the Lions were 3-13-1 in 2021, not 9-7-1.

• Doug Pederson took over the dumpster fire Urban Meyer left behind in Jacksonville. The Jaguars went from 3-14 to 9-8 and are AFC South champions.

• Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers used three different starting quarterbacks, won 13 games and claimed the NFC West.

• Brian Daboll led the New York Giants from 4-13 to a wild-card berth at 9-7-1 in his first season. Nick Sirianni’s Philadelphia Eagles have the best record in the NFC at 14-3 in his second season. Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings are 13-4 in his first season. They were 8-9 last year.

Whatever support Tomlin is getting for Coach of the Year is largely built on the premise that he had a firm, steady hand on the locker room after it got off to a 2-6 start, closing 7-2 following the bye week.

That’s great. That’s true. But are we supposed to ignore how the Steelers were an unmitigated disaster for the first eight weeks? That has to be part of the analysis of Tomlin’s season too. Not just the good stuff from the back half of the season.

Before the bye in the first week of November, Tomlin’s group gave up a fourth-quarter lead at home against the New York Jets and their eventually benched quarterback Zach Wilson. The defense allowed 175 yards rushing and blew a second-half lead in Cleveland. The team also failed to close out close games against the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, two mediocre conference foes they found themselves battling for a wild-card berth during the final week of the season.

“It would have been very easy to fold it in and start to wonder why this is happening to us and pointing fingers and assigning blame, but none of the guys did that,” Watt said after his team’s win in Week 18 over the Browns. “Credit to Coach T(omlin), the leadership in the locker room. … When our backs were against the wall in the record and throughout games this year, to be able to fight back and play for each other.”

But even Tomlin himself seemed reluctant to accept much praise for piloting this team’s comeback in the second half of 2022. On Tuesday, the coach was asked how next year’s team may benefit from turning around a season with a 2-6 start.

“Hopefully, the benefit is not to get yourself in those circumstances,” Tomlin quipped.

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He’s right. But there’s little evidence to suggest the Steelers will learn anything from this year when it comes to avoiding another costly bad start. Despite never having a sub-.500 season in 16 years of coaching, Tomlin’s clubs have often had to scramble late in seasons to stay above that threshold.

• Last year’s 9-7-1 team began 1-3 and needed a miracle win in Week 18 by the 3-14 Jags over Indianapolis, so the Steelers could qualify for the playoffs.

• The 2019 team got off to a 1-4 start before winning seven of eight to remain competitive without Ben Roethlisberger, only to lose the last three and miss the playoffs.

• In 2018, Pittsburgh began 1-2-1, got up to 7-2-1, then missed the playoffs at 9-6-1 when the Baltimore Ravens won the division by half a game.

• Tomlin’s 2013 club was 0-4, then 2-6 at the midway point. It rallied to finish 8-8 before being eliminated from wild-card contention on the last day of the regular season.

• The 2012 team was 2-3. It finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

Those were just some of Tomlin’s average squads. Even some of his good ones struggled out of the gate. The 11-5 team that went to the AFC Championship Game after the 2016 season started 4-5. The 2014 AFC North champions (11-5) were 3-3 with losses against horrible opponents from Jacksonville (3-13) and Tampa Bay (2-14).

On Tuesday, Tomlin was asked if he’ll break down his team’s approach in a way that may be able to decipher why things have been so often rocky coming out of the preseason.

“I evaluate everything,” Tomlin said. “If the start was not what you liked or wanted, you’d better evaluate that. I’ll evaluate the season in totality. I’ll evaluate components of the season, team development, how we manage the team through the season from a physical work standpoint, from an intellectual work standpoint, the rate at which we introduce schematic things, growth and development. There’s just a lot of discussions to be had.”

The lousy September and October were explainable this year. Running back Najee Harris played injured for the first few weeks, and Watt got hurt in the opener. Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett were new quarterbacks. Teryl Austin was working as the team’s defensive coordinator for the first time. An eventually capable offensive line took some time to jell.

Perhaps those issues won’t be as present in 2023. They weren’t in 2020 when the team began 11-0. But overcoming whatever hurdles are present leaving Saint Vincent College after most seasons has repeatedly proven to be damaging for the franchise’s playoff hopes. The annual scramble drill to stay above .500 and stay in the playoff race has grown tedious.

Enough of relying on Jacksonville and the Joe Flacco-led New York Jets for help on the last Sunday of the season.

Yes, Tomlin has been great at keeping struggling teams afloat in the second half of seasons where the ship appeared to be sinking. I just wish he’d avoid taking on so much water as soon as the boat pushes away from the dock.