Mark Madden: Steelers going nowhere with Mike Tomlin, overpaid defense

It’s another season of no progress for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They were never in danger of beating Buffalo on Monday and now have officially gone seven seasons without a playoff win. They have no clear answer at quarterback and will go with the inferiority of Kenny Pickett next season no matter what. They got good talent in the most recent draft, but key players are aging out. The Steelers’ philosophy is outdated and, despite stressing defense, the defense isn’t good.

The Steelers are stuck in the mushy middle.

Not close to winning a playoff game, let alone a Super Bowl.

Too dumb to go 4-13 and draft legit top-tier talent.

But did you know Coach T has never had a losing season?

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At least the Steelers held Buffalo under 40 points, a welcome change from the Steelers’ previous three postseason outings.

But the defense was rotten, allowing touchdowns on Buffalo’s first possession and three of the Bills’ first five. That put the Steelers down 21-0 midway through the second quarter. Everything that happened after was just a formality.

If it wasn’t for the Steelers seizing life by blocking a field goal and converting a 33-yard mini-drive just before halftime, the final score likely would have been much worse than 31-17.

The defense failed to coax a turnover. Josh Allen’s reckless style conceded 18 interceptions and four lost fumbles during the regular season but none of either Monday. The Buffalo quarterback succeeds till he fails, but the Steelers barely pressured or rattled him.

Sure, T.J. Watt was absent. Next man up. City of champions, not excuses.

Minkah Fitzpatrick returned from injury but apparently forgot how to tackle. He long since forgot how to get the football.

After leading the NFL in interceptions last season, Fitzpatrick wasn’t involved in a single takeaway this season: No picks, no fumbles recovered, no fumbles caused in 11 games including Monday’s. Apparently, $14.5 million doesn’t buy what it used to.

Neither does $104.3 million. That’s what the Steelers spent on defense, the NFL’s second-highest figure.

Mike Tomlin is supposed to be a defensive guru, but there was no sign of that at Buffalo.

Tomlin is supposed to always have the Steelers ready to play, but there was also no sign of that at Buffalo.

There was also no sign of that earlier this season when the Steelers lost consecutive home games to Arizona and New England, both 2-10.

Oh, wait … that was all Mitch Trubisky’s fault. That’s easy to forget, because the Steelers were in a transitional phase from every failure being all Matt Canada’s fault.

In their last five playoff losses, including Monday’s, the Steelers got outscored 66-0 in the first quarter.

In those games, the Steelers allowed 21, 35, 28, 21 and 10 points before the Steelers’ offense scored any.

Rumor says Tomlin will consider taking a break from coaching.

Related:

• Steelers QB Mason Rudolph faced with questions about next season
• Steelers’ George Pickens: ‘Not gonna win a game when you have to play the refs and the Buffalo Bills’
• Steelers go cold in Buffalo, lose 5th consecutive playoff game

I don’t believe that for a second. But it would benefit the Steelers if he quit.

With no playoff wins in seven seasons and three in 13, it’s clear that the early success Tomlin achieved was due to what his predecessor, Bill Cowher, left behind.

Never having a losing season is impressive only if you’re also winning playoff games. The postseason is how coaches are judged.

Except Tomlin. As I’ve often said, he’s in a results-based business but miraculously avoids accountability for results. He’s a great coach just because.

During one of ESPN’s yell-and-mug shows Monday, the fate of NFL coaches was being debated.

About Dallas’ Mike McCarthy, the crew raged: “The Cowboys lost to Green Bay. He’s got to be fired!” (I’m paraphrasing.)

About Buffalo’s Sean McDermott, they shouted, “If Buffalo loses to Pittsburgh, he’s got to be fired!”

About Tomlin, they bellowed, “Mike Tomlin is the only reason the Steelers are in the playoffs! They don’t have a quarterback, but Tomlin will think of something!”

Well, he didn’t.

But Tomlin will nevertheless coach the Steelers as long as he wants. Probably for a lot more non-losing seasons and a lot more with no playoff victories.

Quarterback Mason Rudolph was the main reason the Steelers made the playoffs. It took Tomlin 16 weeks to start his best quarterback.

Rudolph was far from perfect at Buffalo, but he rallied the Steelers to within one score in the fourth quarter. (The Bills promptly went 70 yards in seven plays for a touchdown after that. The Saran Wrap Curtain strikes again.)

But Rudolph’s red-zone interception in the second quarter with the Steelers down 14-0 is a flashpoint for those predisposed to blame him.

Here’s betting the Steelers don’t bring back Rudolph by way of not putting pressure on Pickett. (Pickett is, don’t forget, QB1 on the depth chart.) The minute Pickett falters, the citizens would clamor for Rudolph.

Two championships in 44 years. No playoff wins in seven.

Are we sure the standard is still the standard?