bv. Steelers’ Legendary Coach Bill Cowher Points Out 3 Critical Weak Spots Pittsburgh MUST Fix – or Move On From Mike Tomlin
The Pittsburgh Steelers are slipping at the worst possible time, and no one understands the standard of this franchise better than legendary head coach Bill Cowher. After another painful loss and a season filled with predictable offense, blown coverages, and questionable late-game decisions, Cowher publicly highlighted three major flaws the team must correct immediately, or accept that it might be time to move on from Mike Tomlin.
Cowher didn’t attack the players. Instead, he went directly at the structural problems that continue sinking Pittsburgh week after week. The message was loud, blunt, and very “Steelers-like”: fix it, or this proud franchise is heading into a true downfall.
1. A Predictable, Stale Offensive Philosophy
Cowher emphasized how the Steelers’ offense has become painfully easy to defend.
No creativity.
No adjustments.
No solutions for DK Metcalf constantly being erased.
No consistent run identity despite having Warren and Gainwell producing well.
He referenced how former players and analysts have all said the same thing: the scheme is outdated. Everything is “dink-and-dunk,” with no effort to open the field or manufacture easy completions.
This offense doesn’t threaten anyone anymore, and defenses know it.
2. Defensive Breakdown and Bad Matchups
Cowher pointed out the embarrassing blown assignments that led to DJ Moore’s second touchdown vs Chicago, the play that flipped the entire game.
Coverages are busted. Communication is late. Players are being asked to cover impossible combinations.
Even Patrick Queen publicly questioned the scheme after the game, an extremely rare move for a defensive leader who never calls out coaching.
Cowher’s point:
This defense is too expensive and too talented to be the 28th-ranked unit in the NFL.
If they can’t carry the team, something is fundamentally broken in preparation and game-planning.
3. In-Game Management and “Playing Not to Lose”
This is the one that frustrated Cowher the most. Tomlin’s late-game punt on 4th-and-short, while trailing, was the exact opposite of Steelers football.
Tomlin defended the choice by saying he wanted to preserve timeouts. Instead, Pittsburgh lost a timeout due to injury, wasted the moment, and never got a real chance to win.
Cowher’s message: game management is hurting this team, not helping it.
Cowher didn’t say Tomlin must be fired, but he didn’t need to. His message was a warning shot from a man who built the modern Steelers identity: Fix the structure. Fix the philosophy. Fix the leadership.
If not, the franchise that prides itself on stability may finally have to consider the unthinkable.
The Steelers still control their future. But if they don’t change now, the future might not include Mike Tomlin at all.
