Steelers’ Tomlin Understands Winning, But O’Connell Falls Short With Vikings

The only thing that matters for coaches in the NFL is the W-L record. Things like a happy locker room, player development and media relations are all ancillary to finding a way to win on Sundays. Make no mistake about it – this is the responsibility of the head coach.

Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers knows how to win. His team has yet to play a full 60-minute game this season, yet the Steelers are 3-2. To put it another way, the Steelers have not played a good game with second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett under center, yet they have found a way win three times.

The Steelers have been overwhelmed in their two losses to the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans. The 49ers are the best team in the NFL and they simply took the Steelers apart in the opening game of the season. The Texans have been perennial losers in the NFL, but they have found their quarterback of the future in C.J. Stroud because he is an accurate passer, poised under pressure and smart.

The Steelers were not a lot better in their three victories over the Browns, Raiders or Ravens. But Tomlin was able to figure out a formula to drive his team to victories in all of those games.

The Browns have one of the best defenses in the league and Pickett had a difficult time because the Cleveland pass rush was all over him for most of the night. He did find a way to a throw a 71-yard TD pass to George Pickens and the Steelers had two defensive touchdowns. The Steelers won the game even though they were outgained by more than 150 yards.

The Steelers were somewhat better when they beat the Raiders on the road in Week 3 as Pickett threw a pair of TD passes while avoiding turnovers and Pittsburgh withstood a late rally by Las Vegas to hang on by a 23-18 margin.

The Ravens stopped the Steelers in their tracks for three quarters as neither Najee Harris nor Jaylen Warren was able to provide any production in the running game while Pickett was pounded by the Baltimore pass rush. But once the bell rang in the 4^th quarter, the Steelers combined a safety, a field goal by Chris Boswell, a TD pass from Pickett to Pickens and another field goal to come away with a seven-point win.

It would not be accurate to say that Tomlin willed his team to victory, but he provided a winning formula by combining great defense and sharp motivation to turn defeat into victory multiple times this season.

Now Tomlin and his players have a bye week to improve and get healthy while preparing for four games against the Rams, Jaguars, Titans and Packers. That segment of the schedule should result in three more victories.

While the Pittsburgh coach has found a way to drive his team to victories, Kevin O’Connell of the Vikings has done little but fall short this season. A year ago, the Vikings were masters of winning one-score games, but this year they have failed in four of five games decided by 8 points or less.

The Vikings are 0-3 at U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Week 5 loss to the Chiefs saw the Vikings play their best game of the season. Nevertheless, it was another brutal fumble on the first play from scrimmage that forced the Vikings to play from behind throughout the game and giving that kind of advantage Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes was too much to overcome.

Throughout the game, the Vikings missed chances as tight end T.J. Hockenson failed to bring in multiple contested catch opportunities, quarterback Kirk Cousins failed to hit open receivers and running back Alexander Mattison dropped a potential TD reception when a wide open screen pass slipped through his fingers.

While all that was going on, rookie wideout Jordan Addison played his best game, catching 6 passes for 64 yards. He appeared to give the Vikings a chance for the tying touchdown in the final seconds when the Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed was flagged for pass interference on him in the end zone, but officials picked up the flag moments later – securing yet another loss for the Vikings.

That reversal left O’Connell crying in his beer. “I guess I’m trying to figure out where and when that veered the other way,” he said. “I want to be careful on this one. But that was very unfortunate. As well as the scenario there where not every player on the field had their helmet on.”

O’Connell is widely considered to be a master of offensive football, but his team does not win. He needs to take a lesson from Tomlin on how to get the job done.