Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin comfortable with Steelers leadership
By Matt Shetler
Since last season ended a disappointing 8-8 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the topic du jour has been leadership- or more importantly the lack of leadership in the Steelers locker room.
Since the season ended, guys like Antonio Brown and Hines Ward have spoken about the Steelers lack of leadership, but if you ask Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin, he will tell you that there is no leadership issue at all in his locker room.
Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches the clock during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys won 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
"“I don’t think we’re devoid of leadership at all,” Tomlin said, via Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review."
Tomlin also mentioned that he doesn’t believe that any of the departures in recent years or the complaints about a dysfunctional locker room is a sign that the team has lost its way.
However the facts would contradict what Tomlin is trying to preach.
Leadership starts at the top and Tomlin must improve in that area before he can expect it from his team.
His team is often an undisciplined team on the field who fails to look prepared for every game, but they are also undisciplined off the field, a problem his predecessor Bill Cowher did not have a problem with.
However while all that is true, there is a merit of truth to what Tomlin is saying.
Even though the Steelers lost two more veteran performers in Mike Wallace and James Harrison, there are still enough veterans in the locker room, which includes Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Keisel, Larry Foote and Troy Polamalu.
The Steelers problem isn’t leadership.
That’s just something people want to point to because their long time favorites are no longer with the organization.
The bigger problem is talent.
Leadership doesn’t win games. Talent and playmakers do.
As the Steelers prepare to get ready to look forward to the 2013 season, they are very thin on all-around talent. Until they get enough of that in place, people should quit talking about leadership.