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Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 3:16 pm
by Deebo
Tomlin's PR machine in full force. Some of the players he listed as good are laughable
https://www.steelcityunderground.com/20 ... s-players/
I have to laugh at a couple players being included on this list. Lots of mediocre talent
Beyond them, the Steelers’ depth chart was stocked with established contributors and several players who would go on to become Hall of Famers, franchise staples or notable contributors in Cowher’s coaching career footnotes:
Adrian Cooper - he was a blocking TE, nothing more
Aaron Jones - ok player. Nothing special
Barry Foster - great player
Carnell Lake - great player
Carlton Haselrig - great player
D.J. Johnson - ok player. Believe he got kicked out of a playoff game vs the Chiefs
David Little - ok player
Donald Evans - bwhahaha
Dwight Stone - bwhahaha 2.0
Eric Green - great player and the reason I wore 86 in HS and continued
Gary Anderson - good kicker
Greg Lloyd - great player
Hardy Nickerson - great player that they couldn't afford
Jeff Graham - bwhahahaha 3.0
Jerrol Williams - again nothing special
Jerry Olsavsky - bwhahahah 4.0
Justin Strzelczyk - great player
Leroy Thompson - nothing special
Merril Hoge - nothing special. I loved his attitude and toughness but he was extremely limited
Neil O’Donnell - slightly good QB
So I count about 7/8 players that were pretty damn good or great that Cowher inherited.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 3:31 pm
by langer
Team MVP Kenny Gainwell.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 3:35 pm
by .Kodiak
I mean, it sure LOOKS like he was fired. But I'm seeing a lot of articles flailing to explain that away.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:00 pm
by CoolShades
Despite Cowher missing the postseason in his last year as the Steelers head coach, critics of Mike Tomlin will always point out how he “inherited” a Super Bowl winning roster, despite many of the 2006 Cowher players not being a part of the 2005 championship roster, or the various other players that were added in the two seasons that Tomlin took over.
Amazing these revisionist Tomlin ball washers always fail to mention that one of the big reasons Cowher failed to reach the postseason his last year was because Ben bounced off a windshield riding his motorcycle and was out for months.
Fuck the Tomlin PR machine.
Oh, and I’d throw Gary Anderson in the great player/kicker category.
Especially for Noll, who famously ignored special teams for years because his defense was so good. He threw away countless points and field position with the dynamic duo of Gerela and Walden. He woke up to the value of a good kicker when he stumbled onto Anderson and he was awesome. If only he didn’t miss that kick in Minnesota.
Carlton Haselrig was an awesome story. Never played football in high school. World class wrestler, who won 6 NCAA titles in the heavyweight division. Noll had the vision to draft that guy and he became an All-Pro. (His high school did not have a wrestling program either. He was a one-man team who entered the state tournament and won it his senior year.) A phenomenal athlete.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:20 pm
by Ice
Haselrig and Eric Green were great, but not for long. Foster had a slightly longer window with Cowher, and defined the offense for the first couple of seasons, so I'd leave him in. From my fuzzy (I was 9 in 1992) memory, Hoge had his best years under Noll, and Little and Nickerson didn't last long after Cowher arrived. I'd move Aaron Jones down to the bwhahahaha category based on how much my dad and buddy's dad hated him. He was the cause of much yelling and profanity in the TV room on gamedays.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:25 pm
by langer
What about Hot Tub Harrison?
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:26 pm
by jeemie
These were Noll's players who were left by the time of Super Bowl XXX. Please add in any I missed:
Lloyd
Woodson
Lake
Olsavsky
O'Donnell
Strzelczyk
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:48 pm
by Steeldrama
No mention of zero reps Huey?
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:54 pm
by langer
Are they saying Coach T didn't leave a rotting bombed out husk of an NFL franchise while he scoots out the door?
Team MVP Kenny Gainwell.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:58 pm
by 955876
Amazing these revisionist Tomlin ball washers always fail to mention that one of the big reasons Cowher failed to reach the postseason his last year was because Ben bounced off a windshield riding his motorcycle and was out for months.
Don’t forget he also had an emergency appendectomy after the motorcycle accident and right before that season as well.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:01 pm
by Dan Smith--BYU
I want a list of people who are now willing to "kill" to sign him
I was told by the sports media that this list was very long
but crickets
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:03 pm
by Stosh-67
Tomlin gets hammered for playoff exits, but Cowher struggled in big moments too — dropping four AFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl before finally breaking through. The idea that one coach faced adversity while the other coasted simply doesn’t hold up.
This writer is insne.
Tomlin lost 7 straight in blow out fashion.
9 one and dones.
He could not get out of the wild card.........let alone championship games.
I think if Tomlin was getting too and losing
AFC Championship games..........the story on Tomlin would be a little different today.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:03 pm
by Jobu
955876 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:58 pm
Amazing these revisionist Tomlin ball washers always fail to mention that one of the big reasons Cowher failed to reach the postseason his last year was because Ben bounced off a windshield riding his motorcycle and was out for months.
Don’t forget he also had an emergency appendectomy after the motorcycle accident and right before that season as well.
While all that is true, it can’t be denied that Cowher was fat and happy after winning it the season before and mailed it in. He finally made it to the top, and was no longer highly motivated. I certainly wasn’t a big Cowher guy back then, but I can’t deny that his passion to win drove him. Once he accomplished the ultimate goal, the fire didn’t burn as hot.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:05 pm
by CKSteeler
i saw some post on the Derpbook where some shitty Steelers site tried to claim it was a myth that Tomlin won in 2008 with Cowher's guys.
There were definitely some additions. Like all the crappy players on the OL who had no value. The defense was entirely Cowher guys outside Woodley and Timmons. That's it. Those are the two big contributors that were brought on board after Tomlin and we don't know who between him and Colbert had more say on that or how much cooperation there was. They were both his first draft.
It literally proved the exact opposite point they were making. Said this and some guy in the comments attacked me before backing down and then saying he just wasn't going to argue with a stranger. The shit people say when they know they don't actually have a rebuttal and they'd look stupid trying to site Darnell Stapleton as a serious contributor to that Super Bowl roster.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:06 pm
by CKSteeler
It needs to be stated that the weakest first round draft pick the Steelers had with Cowher and Colbert was Kendall Simmons who suffered a major injury and still started many games after.
There were multiple HOF'ers, Pro Bowlers etc. They were pretty damn money in that first round and it built a championship team.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:09 pm
by Dan Smith--BYU
In related news, there are dozens of sports networks who would kill to hire Ryan Clark if ESPN fired his Sunny Hostin with a dick schtick.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:12 pm
by Stosh-67
Deebo wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 3:16 pm
Tomlin's PR machine in full force. Some of the players he listed as good are laughable
https://www.steelcityunderground.com/20 ... s-players/
I have to laugh at a couple players being included on this list. Lots of mediocre talent
Beyond them, the Steelers’ depth chart was stocked with established contributors and several players who would go on to become Hall of Famers, franchise staples or notable contributors in Cowher’s coaching career footnotes:
Adrian Cooper - he was a blocking TE, nothing more
Aaron Jones - ok player. Nothing special
Barry Foster - great player
Carnell Lake - great player
Carlton Haselrig - great player
D.J. Johnson - ok player. Believe he got kicked out of a playoff game vs the Chiefs
David Little - ok player
Donald Evans - bwhahaha
Dwight Stone - bwhahaha 2.0
Eric Green - great player and the reason I wore 86 in HS and continued
Gary Anderson - good kicker
Greg Lloyd - great player
Hardy Nickerson - great player that they couldn't afford
Jeff Graham - bwhahahaha 3.0
Jerrol Williams - again nothing special
Jerry Olsavsky - bwhahahah 4.0
Justin Strzelczyk - great player
Leroy Thompson - nothing special
Merril Hoge - nothing special. I loved his attitude and toughness but he was extremely limited
Neil O’Donnell - slightly good QB
So I count about 7/8 players that were pretty damn good or great that Cowher inherited.
Yup.....I bolded the same guys you were probably thinking of that are considered very good to pro-bowl type players.
Not a single hall of famer?
Maybe ONE single hall of famer? Gary Anderson..........who will need a long time to get in.
Greg Lloyd and Carnell Lake may come close one day? Probably not.
What Tomlin inherit?
Ben Roethlisberger
RB Willie Parker
FB Carey Davis
WR Santonio Holmes
WR Hines Ward
TE Heath Miller
LT Marvel Smith
LG Alan Faneca
C Sean Mahan
RG Kendall Simmons
RT Willie Colon
Defensive Starters
LDE Aaron Smith
NT Casey Hampton
RDE Brett Keisel
LOLB Clark Haggans
LILB James Farrior
RILB Larry Foote
ROLB James Harrison
LCB Ike Taylor
RCB Deshea Townsend
SS Troy Polamalu
FS Anthony Smith
4-5 hall of famers? Ben, Ward, Faneca, Troy,...........Farrior?
a few other borderline HOFers? Harrison
and a few other top tier pro bowl players.....Santonio, Marvel, Heath, FWP, the 3 DL, Foote, IKE, Shea
I would ask the writer to take the two rosters and pick 22 starters........see how many land on Tonmline roster
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:14 pm
by Mick
jeemie wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:26 pm
These were Noll's players who were left by the time of Super Bowl XXX. Please add in any I missed:
Lloyd
Woodson
Lake
Olsavsky
O'Donnell
Strzelczyk
John Jackson (Left Tackle).
Not a lot of players, that said, by AV 4 of the top 5 most valuable players on the team in 1995 were Noll guys, and that’s despite the best player on the roster missing that season (Woodson).
Edit: i just assumed you had Dawson. You did not.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:17 pm
by jeemie
Thanks for the two misses. I was lazy and went off the names in the opening post, which also omitted Dawson and Jackson.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:51 pm
by Gonzo
what a complete load of crap
1. Lets look at what they inherited and what they built -- its night and day. let alone that they comparison of what they inherited is a stretch to start
2. comparing losing 4 AFCCG games -to 0-7 is as disingenuous as it gets
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 6:12 pm
by Ice
Steeldrama wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 4:48 pm
No mention of zero reps Huey?
Now THAT was a shitty draft pick!
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 6:53 pm
by 955876
Stosh-67 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 5:03 pm
Tomlin gets hammered for playoff exits, but Cowher struggled in big moments too — dropping four AFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl before finally breaking through. The idea that one coach faced adversity while the other coasted simply doesn’t hold up.
This writer is insne.
Tomlin lost 7 straight in blow out fashion.
9 one and dones.
He could not get out of the wild card.........let alone championship games.
I think if Tomlin was getting too and losing
AFC Championship games..........the story on Tomlin would be a little different today.
These idiots will continue to twist themselves into pretzels attempting to prop up the lackluster diversity hire that shot his wad back in 2008 and didn’t do shit since.
Big fucking difference losing AFC Championship games and a Super Bowl vs. getting blown out in the wildcard round 7 straight times.
Good fucking grief.
And oh, Jibbs lost a Super Bowl as well.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 6:56 pm
by Steeldrama
Man, I’m stewing on this.
Tomlin had a Super Bowl handed to him on a freaking plate!
Coaches, Culture, HOF Talent on both sides of the ball!
Ungrateful prick had it all!
Fuck that guy.
As for MY GUY Cowher?
He didn’t inherit a bare cupboard either, but at least he built his own staff from the ground up and eventually jettisoned some Noll era busts like zero reps Huey Richardson and sack record guaranteer Aaron Jones.
What Cowher did taking over for the LEGENDARY Chuck Noll is quite actually…
…INCREDIBLE
But where Cowher (and Noll) shit all over Tomlin?
Assistant Coaches
Cowher with LeBeau and Dom Capers running that Blitzburgh defense.
Dude that was freakin SICK!
When Kevin Greene (RIP) and those flowing locks turned the corner? Hairs on my neck STOOD UP!
Just waves of firebreathers coming at the QB from all damn directions!
INNOVATIVE and FUN!
Joel Steed, Fat Casey, Levon Kirkland STOPPING THE RUN!
Now?
Heaven forbid TWatt jog away from his LDE post.
Want more INNOVATATION and FUN from MY GUY Cowher?
Think he’s just Ground and Pound?
BULLLLLLSHIT
Look no further than SLASH.
Another great assistant coach was Chan Gailey.
Those Slash and Thigpen 5 WR sets were wicked fun!
How about Cowher’s grossly underrated roster building acumen?
Jeff Hartings, Duvall Love, Wayne Gandy, Will Wolford for his criminally underrated OL’s alone!
What the fuck is a Kimo von Olhoffen?
Dude broke the shit out of Carson Palmer’s leg that’s who he is!
One of many key free agent signings under Cowher.
Ohh I’ll NEVER get over Cowher losing to Barry Frickin Switzer in Super Bowl XXX.
I’m torn between Barry Bonds inability to throw out Sid Bream from shallow LF and Neil O’Donnell’s Ints to Larry Brown as my WORST moments as a Pittsburgh sports fan.
Long semi-pointless RANT, short…
…ON NO FUCKING PLANET does Mike Tomlin belong in ANY retard level debate about who is the better coach of my once beloved Pittsburgh
Steelers
None
Zero
Zip
Nada
You think THE CHIN, THE SPIT, is going to thump his chest and blow kisses to the camera after a pathetic 9-8 season?
HELL FUCKING NO!
Cowher was A WINNER
GOOD RIDDANCE, FRAUDLIN
Ya barrel of Monkey Nuts!
THE END
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 7:34 pm
by langer
Would Coach Cowher have kept Canada around for multiple years? I recall he would get rid of deadweight coordinators.
But not Coach T. He has to be correct.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 7:57 pm
by 955876
Steeldrama wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 6:56 pm
Man, I’m stewing on this.
Tomlin had a Super Bowl handed to him on a freaking plate!
Coaches, Culture, HOF Talent on both sides of the ball!
Ungrateful prick had it all!
Fuck that guy.
As for MY GUY Cowher?
He didn’t inherit a bare cupboard either, but at least he built his own staff from the ground up and eventually jettisoned some Noll era busts like zero reps Huey Richardson and sack record guaranteer Aaron Jones.
What Cowher did taking over for the LEGENDARY Chuck Noll is quite actually…
…INCREDIBLE
But where Cowher (and Noll) shit all over Tomlin?
Assistant Coaches
Cowher with LeBeau and Dom Capers running that Blitzburgh defense.
Dude that was freakin SICK!
When Kevin Greene (RIP) and those flowing locks turned the corner? Hairs on my neck STOOD UP!
Just waves of firebreathers coming at the QB from all damn directions!
INNOVATIVE and FUN!
Joel Steed, Fat Casey, Levon Kirkland STOPPING THE RUN!
Now?
Heaven forbid TWatt jog away from his LDE post.
Want more INNOVATATION and FUN from MY GUY Cowher?
Think he’s just Ground and Pound?
BULLLLLLSHIT
Look no further than SLASH.
Another great assistant coach was Chan Gailey.
Those Slash and Thigpen 5 WR sets were wicked fun!
How about Cowher’s grossly underrated roster building acumen?
Jeff Hartings, Duvall Love, Wayne Gandy, Will Wolford for his criminally underrated OL’s alone!
What the fuck is a Kimo von Olhoffen?
Dude broke the shit out of Carson Palmer’s leg that’s who he is!
One of many key free agent signings under Cowher.
Ohh I’ll NEVER get over Cowher losing to Barry Frickin Switzer in Super Bowl XXX.
I’m torn between Barry Bonds inability to throw out Sid Bream from shallow LF and Neil O’Donnell’s Ints to Larry Brown as my WORST moments as a Pittsburgh sports fan.
Long semi-pointless RANT, short…
…ON NO FUCKING PLANET does Mike Tomlin belong in ANY retard level debate about who is the better coach of my once beloved Pittsburgh
Steelers
None
Zero
Zip
Nada
You think THE CHIN, THE SPIT, is going to thump his chest and blow kisses to the camera after a pathetic 9-8 season?
HELL FUCKING NO!
Cowher was A WINNER
GOOD RIDDANCE, FRAUDLIN
Ya barrel of Monkey Nuts!
THE END
100% spot on. Great post right here.
This should be framed
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 8:50 pm
by Deebo
langer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 7:34 pm
Would Coach Cowher have kept Canada around for multiple years? I recall he would get rid of deadweight coordinators.
But not Coach T. He has to be correct.
Remember it was Rooney, not Tomlin who canned Canada bc Mike didn't want to hurt the poor baby's feewings...
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 9:07 pm
by anpsteel
That article was written by a relative of Tomlin, or a complete moron. Although, those are not mutually exclusive criteria.
Tomlin took over a team that was stacked, and while they came off a down season, that was due to multiple factors including:
-Ben fought the buick and then his appendix fought him
-Cowher was mailing it in
-Team was semi mailing it in
Tomlin took over a stacked team, with a loaded coaching staff and a First Ballot HOF QB (the single most important position in all sports)
Cowher took over a team that was
7-9
9-7 3x
5-11
And had only been to the playoffs once in the prior 7 seasons, winning one game in the 89 season.
With the exception of Rod Woodson, the team was marginal.
Barry Foster was very good.
Greg Lloyd was very good (mind you he was playing a different position under Noll)
Carnell Lake was very good / excellent but was early in his career
Quaterback Brister/ ODonnell marginal, at best
Cowher took over this marginal team, and completely re-tooled it. He implemented his own schemes and hired his own coordinators.
Cowher took a team that was absolutely on the decline, and made them a superbowl contender within 2 seasons.
There is almost zero chance this current roster is headed to a superbowl in 3 seasons. No matter who is hired.
Tomlin was handed a top tier team.
Cowher took over a mid to lower third tier team.
They are not the same.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 11:22 pm
by .Kodiak
anpsteel wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 9:07 pm
That article was written by a relative of Tomlin, or a complete moron.
It will be interesting to see if a few posters ever show up again....seemed more fans of Tomlin than of the Steelers.
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 11:24 pm
by Jizz Mop
.Kodiak wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 11:22 pm
anpsteel wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 9:07 pm
That article was written by a relative of Tomlin, or a complete moron.
It will be interesting to see if a few posters ever show up again....seemed more fans of Tomlin than of the Steelers.
I used to joke about Texas Black and Gold being related to Coach T
With his complete disappearance I’m now convinced of it
Re: Poor Tomlin
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 11:52 pm
by 955876
Jizz Mop wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 11:24 pm
.Kodiak wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 11:22 pm
anpsteel wrote: ↑Thu Jan 22, 2026 9:07 pm
That article was written by a relative of Tomlin, or a complete moron.
It will be interesting to see if a few posters ever show up again....seemed more fans of Tomlin than of the Steelers.
I used to joke about Texas Black and Gold being related to Coach T
With his complete disappearance I’m now convinced of it
As dumb as he was (both here and when he ventured into Free For All) he might have actually been Tomlin.