When the Steelers turned to their third starting quarterback of the season after a three-game losing streak pushed them to 7-7 and the fringes of playoff contention, it seemed like the 2023 season might be the one that broke head coach Mike Tomlin’s remarkable run of success in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin didn’t have a losing record in his first 16 years on the job, but losing at least two out of the team’s three games felt like a realistic way for things to end for a Steelers team that had been disappointing offensively all season. Mason Rudolph’s arrival in the starting lineup sparked back-to-back 30-point outings, however, and the Steelers rode Najee Harris’ 112 rushing yards and a 71-yard Diontae Johnson touchdown catch to a 17-10 win in Baltimore on Saturday.
Harris said the three-game winning streak was a testament to Tomlin’s coaching and the team’s ability to keep getting off the mat.
“To get 10 wins is good for the team, but also Mike T,” Harris said, via the team’s website. “Just a good coach. He’s been carrying us along this whole year. I think that it really showed how resilient and how calm he always is, even when stuff looks bad. A lot of negative stuff being said, and he always just stays the same person. So, happy for Mike T and the team.”
The Steelers did their part on Saturday, but their earlier stumbles mean they need help in the form of a loss by the Bills or Jaguars on Sunday to advance to the playoffs. Whether they get there or not, one lesson from this season will be to do more over the entire season to make sure that you don’t have to rely on the kindness of others to get where you want to go.