It's not easy, but that should not automatically be an excuse.
It wasn't easy to replace the core players of those 1990s teams who made it to all those conference title games and a Super Bowl, but Cowher did it rather quickly.
In Tomlin, all I see is a guy who is riding the maturation of a talented QB, which would have transpired even with Peewee Herman replacing Cowher. The defensive personnel has gotten progressively worse during the majority of Tomlin's tenure, and the Steelers have never had better than an average offensive line with him in charge.
We're going on nine seasons now, and the sample size is expanding. Tomlin managed Cowher's teams well, but has descended into mediocrity, even with a franchise QB, while Cowher's fingerprints on the team have faded over the past several years.
I WANT to be proven wrong, but I'm worried that the Steelers will regret extending the clown twins (Tomlin and Colbert), going on five years without a playoff victory.
That part right there. The bolded part. That's just flat out revisionist, falsifying history. Cowher did NOT replace those teams of the 90's quickly. As a matter of fact, we went about three years without seeing the playoffs and about two of those years were with losing records. That **** right there would have some on this board (not saying you specifically) reaching for the nooses if it was Tomlin. And again, while the playoffs sucked last year, 11-5, a Division Championship, one of the top ranked offenses in the league .... with 95% or more of players drafted or acquired during his tenure. Seems like a pretty good year ... not great ... but good.
Cowher couldn't/wouldn't find a QB during most of his time here. He CHOSE to go the Graham, Tomczak, retread and Korkie (slash/project) route. There were QBs available through FA that would have helped this team and he chose not to pursue them. Don't you think Montana could have helped those teams better than Grahmczak? So all this crap about Cowher not having a QB ... well, it was by design because he didn't value the position. No need for a franchise QB if your offense is predicated on "Marty Ball".
All of that said, Cowher COULD and did build dominant defenses. Well, if we evaluate him along the same lines as Tomlin, Cowher's DCs built some dominant defenses. Personally, I think he was a helluva coach and I cheered just like everyone else when that chin stuck out and the spittle started flying. I wouldn't put him on my Mt. Rushmore of all-time great coaches, but he was better than a majority of his peers (top 5 during his era). I personally put Tomlin ahead of guys like Marvin Lewis (really?), Whisenhunt (what has he accomplished?), Grimm (is he even still coaching?) and Dungy (simply because Dungy ain't coaching no more and won't be). So, that leaves Tomlin in a group behind the Cheater that includes McCarthy, Carroll and .... can't think of anyone else.
And yes, there are times when I get exasperated with Tomlin (Clock miscues, not going for the jugular, challenges - which is actually a fallacy because Tomlin has one of the higher success rates on challenges in the NFL). There were times when I got exasperated with Cowher (Field Goal Bill, Marty Ball, not going for the jugular, AFCC Game loss after loss ... hell, Belicheat had Cowher's number long before he had Tomlin's).
That's just my opinion. You can agree, disagree or not give a ****. I do know that I'm going to go grab a scotch, grill a steak and just chill, because even if I hated the Tomlin re-up, there isn't a damned thing I could do about it. And, sitting around hoping the guy fails just so I could be proven right on a forum seems kinda ..... stupid.
