Steelers Daily Links: OL Continuity, Tomlin Coach of Year Candidate?

Could Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin be an NFL Coach of the Year candidate despite missing the playoffs.

🏈 Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi thinks Mike Tomlin deserves to win NFL Coach of the Year. “Mike Tomlin is the Coach of the Year, end of story. One of the best coaching jobs ever,” Lombardi tweeted. “His team improved 1000 percent over the 17 weeks. I don’t have a vote, but he should win.”

🏈 Judging by Mike Tomlin’s comments in his season-ending press conference, Ian Rapoport believes Matt Canada will be back as the Steelers offensive coordinator in 2023.

🏈 The Steelers offense finished the 2022 season ranked 25th in points per game (17.71), 23rd in red zone efficiency (51.9%), 23rd in total yards (322.8), 24th in passing (200.6), 16th in rushing (122.2) and seventh in third-down conversion rate (44.9%).

🏈 This is the first NFL season in 32 years that the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts have all missed the playoffs. This will be the first NFL postseason since 2000 without both the Patriots and Steelers.

🏈 The Steelers have gone 19 consecutive seasons of finishing .500 or better. Only the Cowboys (1965-85) have had a longer streak of no losing seasons (21). The Steelers are tied with the (2001-19) Patriots at 19.

🏈 Robert Griffin III thinks the Steelers future is bright. “Mike Tomlin still doesn’t have a losing season as the Head Coach of the Steelers. Remarkable coaching job by him leading his team from 2-6 to 9-8 going 7-2 down the stretch. Steelers’ young players stepped up throughout the year and the future looks promising,” Griffin tweeted.

🏈 The Steelers starting offensive line played 5,753 of a possible 5,800 snaps this year — 99.2%.

🏈 Connor Heyward (84.5) was the highest-graded Steelers player from Sunday’s win over the Browns, according to Pro Football Focus. Damontae Kazee (81.6) had the second-highest grade while Levi Wallace (78.1) came in third.

🏈 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had nearly twice the amount of passing touchdowns (13) than Kenny Pickett (7) this season. Purdy, who was the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, started only five games compared to Pickett’s 12.

🏈 Ben Roethlisberger congratulated J.J. Watt on his retirement. “Congrats to one of the best to ever do it! The game will miss you, but QBs and OCs won’t!! 😂 Happy retirement! HOF, is there even a reason to make this man wait for 5 years?” Roethlisberger said via his official Twitter account.

🏈 The Georgia Bulldogs captured their second consecutive national championship title by crushing TCU, 62-7, on Monday night at SoFi Stadium. The Bulldogs rout was the largest margin of victory in a bowl game in college football history. Former Georgia Bulldog and Steelers first-round pick from 2013, Jarvis Jones, was even sighted in the postgame celebration. Jones is an assistant outside linebackers coach at Georgia.

Is that Jarvis Jones on the right? pic.twitter.com/jljNju0veR

— Amanda Godsey (@AmandaFGodsey) January 10, 2023

🎂 Happy birthday 46th birthday to former Steelers outside linebacker Clark Haggans, born this day in Torrance, California in 1977. Haggans is tied for 21st in Steelers history with 32.5 sacks over his eight seasons.

💰Get a $50 free bet and a deposit match of up to $1,000 with DraftKings.

STEELERS SCHEDULE

🏈 The Steelers will continue their exit interviews, locker clean-out and other break-up activities. 

AROUND THE NETWORK

 Offensive linemen Blake Zubovic, Jake Kradel return to Pitt for 2023.

 Jason Zucker says some funny stuff.

 WVU is pursuing Florida WR transfer Daejon Reynolds.

 PSU football is ranked No. 5 in a way-too-early 2023 top 25 poll.

 Pirates OF Cal Mitchell looks to build from debut season.

 Ranking the top 10 college football transfer classes.