Cameron Hayward looked at the four-letter message projected on the screen and wondered what it meant. As Mike Tomlin, master of acronyms and the most powerful force in the Pittsburgh Steelers universe, spoke passionately to his players in a dark conference room late last month about their upcoming opponent, a light began to turn on in Hayward’s head.
He’s talking about me.
The subject was Dexter Lawrence, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the New York Giants. The subtext was Heyward, a 14-year interior lineman and three-time All-Pro. He would set a franchise record for a defenseman by playing in his 202nd regular season game.
The abbreviation that appeared on the screen was ‘WGFO’.
“I thought, ‘What the hell is he talking about?’” Hayward recalled Monday. “And it was, ‘We’ll figure it out.’”
Tomlin, in particular, challenged Heyward to prove that he could play at as high a level as Lawrence, who was nine years his junior. And the 18-year coach has done it in his own unique way, blending humor with cold, hard truths about the sport he loves.
“He finds a way to motivate everyone on this team,” Heyward said of Tomlin. “It’s important to build a relationship with every guy that comes into the locker room. Every day at practice he’s interacting with guys, and he does that as he walks around the locker room after practice. “There is less room for confusion because he has relationships with everyone.”
The longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, Tomlin is one of the most successful people in his profession, but he’s also one of the most underappreciated. Since taking over as Pittsburgh coach in 2007, he has not had a losing season. Think about it. In a league designed to emphasize equality, the man hasn’t had a single bad year in a sample size of nearly two decades.
That’s crazier than a beloved restaurant serving sandwiches with fries and coleslaw.
But some Steelers fans, frustrated with Tomlin’s recent lack of playoff wins, continue to complain about his shortcomings.
Such complaints typically attract attention in NFL circles, but there are times when Tomlin chronically receives less praise than he deserves. The 52-year-old has won one Super Bowl, two AFC Championships and 188 combined regular-season and postseason wins, but has never been named Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year.
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Things may change come February. There has been some great coaching work this season from the likes of Matt LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell, Dan Campbell, Raheem Morris, and Dan Quinn, but nothing compares to Tomlin’s stellar touch in leading the Steelers to a 7-2 record.
To put it in a way he would be grateful, midway through the 2024 campaign, he is my COTYSF (Coach of the Year So Far).
Mike Tomlin’s 173 wins are 12th all-time in NFL history and the most by a coach who has not won the Coach of the Year title since the award began. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Tomlin managed a potential quarterback controversy, oversaw the installation of a new offense and helped revitalize a defense with five new starters (if you count undrafted rookie nickel back Beanie Bishop Jr.). The Steelers can boast one of the NFL’s most effective special teams units, and their only two losses (back-to-back losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys) have been by three points.
They have won four one-score games, including last Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Washington Commanders, 28-27.
Pittsburgh, which had just one win in its last four postseason appearances, suddenly looked powerful enough to compete with the best teams in the AFC.
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The Steelers will find out more about themselves on Sunday when they host the 7-3 Baltimore Ravens, who trail them by a half-game in the AFC North. Still, for the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired in January 2022, they look like they can win big games without relying on defense and special teams.
What is the biggest reason for the Steelers’ success? Well, there are two main things. Tomlin has it. balls. Unlike many coaches of his time, he is not afraid to follow his instincts, take shots, and face the consequences if he misses.
He’s a risk taker, and his players love it.
Sunday’s win over the Commanders was a sizzle reel for Tomlin’s COTYSF candidacy. The Steelers took a 7-0 lead when they attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-15 from their own 16 with 5:16 left in the first quarter. This play stunned the Commanders, but they missed one defensive back (Upback Miles). Killebrew) failed to complete a pass to someone else (James Pierre, who could not handle the throw).
Three plays later, Austin Ekeler’s 1-yard touchdown tied the game. Tomlin didn’t stumble, later saying, “That’s me.” I own it but would do it again.”
The Steelers fought back from a 24-14 deficit and won with a late touchdown when Russell Wilson, on third-and-9 from the Washington 32, completed a high-arcing deep ball to Mike Williams, who was acquired in the trade. I had never practiced that route before five days ago.
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On paper, it was a bit absurd. In real life, it was an honor. And without Tomlin’s conviction, it never would have happened.
Tomlin’s faith in Wilson since last spring has perplexed many inside and outside the organization, given the way the former Seattle Seahawks star has seemed to regress in recent years.
Wilson, 35, has struggled significantly since being traded to the Denver Broncos following the 2021 season. He seemed to have lost a step, at least a step, and seemed to have much less field awareness than he had in previous seasons.
Last December, Broncos coach Sean Payton benched Wilson while his team was still technically in playoff contention to avoid the financial toll of injuries. Given Payton’s reputation as an offensive specialist, many of his peers saw this as an irreparable indictment of Wilson’s abilities.
Tomlin saw it differently. When Wilson, released by the Broncos, became a free agent in March, the Steelers quickly signed him to replace failed 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett.
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A few days later, they traded with the Chicago Bears to acquire Justin Fields, the 11th pick in the 2021 draft. From that moment on, skepticism swirled. Many NFL coaches and talent evaluators assumed Wilson would not win a starting spot, despite Tomlin insisting he would enter training camp No. 1 on the depth chart.
When a calf injury effectively sidelined Wilson’s preseason and continued into October, Fields took over his opening minutes. His speed and mobility helped new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith design an offense that created favorable matchups for Pittsburgh’s running game. When Wilson was fully healthy, the Steelers were 4-2 and coming off a 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
In fact, no one thought Tomlin needed to make a change. “Overall, I wouldn’t even think about taking (Fields) out of the game right now,” Roethlisberger said after the win on his “Footbahlin” podcast. That was a prevalent sentiment even within the Steelers organization.
Tomlin decided otherwise, believing that Wilson, who has one Super Bowl win and two wins within a yard, still possesses elite qualities that could help the Steelers advance to the postseason. “I’m not trying to win the game,” Tomlin told Fox’s Jay Glazer. “I’m trying to win a world title here. I need to see what I have in both.”
Mike Tomlin went out on a limb to put Russell Wilson in the starting lineup. This decision has paid dividends so far. (Charles Leclair/Image Image)
That’s why Tomlin told Glazer he made the move: “I went to the Lone Ranger.”
One big difference is that the Lone Ranger wears a mask. Tomlin disclosed his intentions and mindset to all parties involved.
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There was no grumbling or harsh criticism in the locker room. Examples include Tomlin (former stars Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and current receiver George Pickens, among others) who have made the most of his habitually strong and sometimes prickly personality. Big-mouthed colleagues would be wise to imitate.
“Justin, Russ and Mike all handled the issue with impeccable instruction,” Heyward said. “(Tomlin) said, ‘We’ll see what happens. But we won’t forget what Justin did, and we won’t think of him as a confused person. It’s a long season and we’ll see what happens.’”
Here’s what’s happened so far: The Steelers are 3-0 with Wilson at quarterback. He threw six touchdown passes and one interception, and Pittsburgh averaged 30.7 points per game in those starts. The Lone Ranger is riding high.
The schedule then became more challenging with two games against the Ravens and clashes with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs among the tests awaiting Tomlin’s team.
Can the Steelers rise to the challenge and win a playoff game (or more than one) for the first time in eight seasons?
As Tomlin said, WGFO.
(Top photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
