Riggo's Rag
FanSided

NFL Coach Power Rankings: Where Jay Gruden fits in among the 32 coaches

By Jacob Camenker

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
24 of 33
Next
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 10: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts to a penalty flag in the second half during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 10, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 10: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts to a penalty flag in the second half during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 10, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin. 10. player. 55. . Head Coach

When Mike Tomlin won a Super Bowl in his second year as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach, many thought that he was going to be the next great Steelers coach. And while Tomlin has proven to be a good head coach, he still isn’t the top tier guy that some paint him to be.

Since taking the Pittsburgh job, Tomlin has posted a 116-60 record over the course of 11 seasons with the team. The Steelers have made the playoffs in 8-of-11 years, and that has been a major positive from Tomlin.

That said, Tomlin’s abilities to adjust on the field and make critical decisions have never been that great. At times, he has cost his team in big moments, much like Pete Carroll. For example, the team blew a chance to potentially fight for homefield advantage in the playoffs last year when they let the Patriots score 11 points to come from behind in the fourth quarter. At this time, Tomlin’s play calling was questionable, and it seemed like he didn’t know how to play with the lead.

Must Read: How Zack Martin's contract impacts Brandon Scherff, Redskins

Even worse was the team’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 Divisional Round. Earlier in the year, the Steelers had been embarrassed by the Jaguars 30-6. They were in position to have a revenge game at home, and the Jaguars were coming off a horrible win over he Bills in which their offense struggled.

When Tomlin’s team took the field, they couldn’t contain the Blake Bortles led passing attack and ended up losing 45-42. It seemed that his players weren’t focused on the task at hand, and they were looking ahead to playing the Patriots. This cost them a chance for a rematch with New England.

It was especially maddening to watch the game against the Jaguars solely because of how much the win should have meant to the players. And also, Tomlin is a defensive minded head coach, so allowing 45 points to the Jaguars meager offense is a major knock on his abilities.

If you comb back through Tomlin’s career, you will find several similar games that his team either had a chance at winning or should have won. They are often playoff games or important contests for the postseason race. Recently, he just hasn’t been able to win those, and it seems that he lacks the clutch coaching skills necessary to be a top five coach.

All that said, Tomlin is still one of the better player developers in the league, and he does know how to use his team’s strengths to win. He deserves a spot in the top 10, but if he doesn’t improve his 8-7 playoff record (5-6 since 2010) then he may find his seat getting warm in the near future.

Home/Commanders News