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There are certainties in life.
Death.
Taxes.
And now Mike Tomlin coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers and not experiencing a losing season.
For the thirteenth consecutive year, since being hired in 2007, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin won his 8th game. He still has three games remaining on the schedule, but the 8th win solidifies yet another non-losing season for the Super Bowl winning coach.
How good is that historically? Field Yates of ESPN puts it into perspective:
Mike Tomlin has now opened his career with 13 straight seasons without a losing season, tied with Don Shula for the second longest longest career-opening streak in NFL history, per @EliasSports. Marty Schottenheimer holds the record with 14.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 9, 2019
As stated earlier, Tomlin is a Super Bowl winning coach, but you would be hard pressed to find someone who suggests the 2019 season hasn’t been his greatest, or one of the greatest.
When you look at the amount of key injuries the team has sustained so far, and the fact they are 8-5 on the verge of making the postseason, it is nothing short of remarkable.
Just look at this list:
Done for the season
- Ben Roethlisberger (elbow)
- Ryan Switzer (back)
- Sean Davis (shoulder)
- Stephon Tuitt (pectoral)
- Roosevelt Nix (knee)
Missed extended time
- James Conner (shoulder)
- Jaylen Samuels (knee)
- Benny Snell Jr. (knee)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee)
- Maurkice Pouncey (suspension)
On top of injuries, the team is now winning with their third string quarterback, Devlin Hodges, who is throwing and handing off to players who were on practice squads for other NFL teams just a few weeks ago.
It has been a crazy season, and when you throw in trades for Minkah Fitzpatrick and Nick Vannett, the Steelers’ 2019 season has been intriguing, to say the least. For me, all of this combined makes this season of not finishing with a losing record even sweeter. Starting 0-3, and 1-4, had fans and pundits everywhere throwing Tomlin into the fire.
And rightfully so. But he has rebounded in a way very few saw coming, and it sure is nice.
Congratulations to Mike Tomlin for another non-losing season, but you and I both know there is plenty of work left to be done. Next up? The Buffalo Bills in Week 15 in likely the last home game of the 2019 season.
As Bart Scott so famously said, “Can’t wait.”