Steelers News: Mike Tomlin remains the leader the Steelers need heading into 2020

It has been a one-of-a-kind offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. With the scheduled start of training camp now behind us, it looks like we’ll have to wait until opening weekend to see the Steelers take the field. Just because the NFL has cancelled the preseason doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how Mike Tomlin, despite his failures, is just the right man for the job entering 2020.

Let’s get to the news:

• The Steelers’ fan base is growing weary of the lack of a seventh Lombardi trophy, but Mike Tomlin is still the man for the job.

Players would ‘run through a brick wall’ for Tomlin

By: Teresa Varley, Steelers.com

The 2020 Steelers offseason was like no other.

Just weeks before players would have reported for offseason workouts, a global pandemic hit like a ton of bricks, with COVID-19 shutting down the country for months.

The normal clanging in the weight room at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex grew silent. The laughter in the locker room was nonexistent. And the zip of a football as it soared from the quarterback’s hands to a waiting wide receiver was silenced.

Classroom instruction, film study, and one-on-one instruction all became virtual, done from the comfort of player’s homes across the country on iPads rather than vast screens in large classrooms.

In the midst of it all, as players were gaining their footing on handling the new offseason and the pandemic was allowing for the opening of some aspects of the nation, the country was rocked again.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25 sparked outrage in the country. Protests were held in major cities and small towns, calling for change, calling for justice, calling for an end to systemic racism. In a matter of minutes, the pandemic took a back seat to social justice issues that deserved the attention it was receiving.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Where does Ben Roethlisberger rank?

Ranking the NFL’s top 10 QBs for 2020: Who follows Patrick Mahomes?

By: Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

Create your own shot. The top quarterbacks must be able to make plays outside of the pocket in today’s game, making Drew Brees and Tom Brady outliers in 2020.

They are still top-10 quarterbacks in their 40s, but the grip is slipping, and you can see it with the results of this list. Mobility, athleticism and throwing on the run are qualities prioritized by all teams now, which explains why four of the league’s top five quarterbacks use those traits as a weapon. Aaron Rodgers is the rare late-30s quarterback who can still pull off that routine.

The pass rushes are too good, the secondaries too sophisticated for quarterbacks to drop back and wait five seconds before throwing. Another thing evaluators prioritize when evaluating QB greatness: universal skill sets. Which quarterbacks truly could play for any team, in any system? Many of these players fit that description.

This year’s top-10 quarterback list features a few surprises, a few legacies cemented, the Dak vs. Wentz debate settled, and an incredibly tough call at the 10th spot.

To read the full article, click HERE (ESPN+)

• The story behind the movement which got the NFL to actually adhere to the NFLPA’s wish list.

The Story Behind #WeWantToPlay

By: JC Tretter

NFL training camps are finally here and chances are, you have read more about side-letter agreements, IDER plans and testing protocols than you have about actual football. But without those things finalized, there would be no football to talk about.

During the past four months, your Executive Committee, Board of Player Reps and NFLPA staff have been hard at work, developing and fighting for protections for all players. If we are going to complete training camps — and more importantly, a full NFL season — we need everyone involved in the game of football to: 1.) accept that football is going to be different this year and 2.) be equally committed to upholding the safety protocols.

The negotiations of the past several months demonstrate what a strong, cohesive union can accomplish. Each win stemmed directly from our ability to stand together and not back down from our demands, earning us protections on health and safety, contracts and macro-economic issues.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• BTSC articles you may have missed...

New WR coach Ike Hilliard sings the praises of his young WR corps

Bart Scott throws some major shade at Troy Polamalu

Minkah Fitzpatrick could have done more in 2019, but wait till 2020

Do the Steelers have the best secondary in the NFL?

With no preseason, how will we know if Mason Rudolph has progressed?

An unlucky 2019 can turn into a fortunate 2020 for the Steelers

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