Tomlin: 4-3, 3-4? It’s all good

By Darrell Laurant  |   Wednesday, January 24, 2007  |  Comments( 7 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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It might be a stretch to call Mike Tomlin a Bill Cowher clone. But the similarities are unmistakable.

Both the incoming Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and the outgoing one coached defensive backs in the pros, then became defensive coordinators. Both had successful NFL coaches as mentors (Marty Schottenheimer for Cowher, Tony Dungy for Tomlin). And both were 34 years old when they were hired.

Of course, there are differences, as well. Tomlin, a former wide receiver at William & Mary, never played in the NFL. North Carolina State grad Cowher, while never an NFL star, spent five years playing linebacker and special teams for the Eagles and Browns. Tomlin is black, Cowher (who retired in December) is white.

And the thing most Pittsburgh Steeler fans want to know about now that Tomlin has been hired has to do with the numbers 3 and 4 -- and it isn't about the new guy's age.

Rather, they're curious whether the Steelers will maintain the trademark 3-4 defense that made the term "Blitzburg" a trademark, or switch to the 4-3 that Tomlin employed quite effectively last season with Minnesota?

Not surprisingly, Tomlin isn't saying. But the team's retention of Blitzburg architect Dick LeBeau -- at 69 more than twice as old as Tomlin -- speaks volumes.

"X's and O's can be overrated sometimes," said Tomlin mysteriously, hinting that the Steelers might be a 3-4 and 4-3 team at various times.

Tomlin obviously isn't intimidated by men with more experience, because he also weighed in on the elevation of Bruce Arians, 58, to offensive coordinator. When he started out with Tampa Bay, in fact, the best player he coached in the secondary -- John Lynch -- was 29. Tomlin was 28.

"He probably was a long shot at first," said Steelers owner Art Rooney II. "Once we got him in an interview, though, we knew he was someone special."

Even as late as Jan. 21, though, a headline ran in one Pittsburgh newspaper proclaiming Cowher aide Russ Grimm as the new leader.

As a college wide receiver, Tomlin was naturally a fan of the passing game. In the pros, however, he has become a disciple of red-meat defense and a run-oriented offense.

"Your personality as a player isn't necessarily the same as your personality as a coach," he said.

His Vikings were eighth in the league in total defense, one slot ahead of the Steelers. But while they led the NFL in run defense, they tied with Cincinnati for last in defending the pass. With only a year to go on, it's hard to say whether that was a flaw in Tomlin's game plan or simply a lack of DB talent.

In his first press conference, Tomlin praised the usual virtues of God and family, spoke warmly of Pittsburgh (he even rode one of the inclines while visiting there as a kid, he said), and used the phrase "blue collar" a couple of times. He called QB Ben Roethlisberger, the eye in the Steeler storm this past season, "a franchise quarterback."

Everybody seemed to like him, just like they liked Bill Cowher.

Mike Tomlin knows the real deal, though. They'll love him as long as he wins.

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CommentsComments: 7  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
fr8ttrain		11:18 AM
01/24/2007
I am hoping good things for Tomlin. Art Rooney has had success in picking head honchos. What has it been, like Noll and Cowher...
No.2
Bill West		03:31 PM
01/24/2007
Tomlin is a bad coach. The problem with half the people who comment on the NFL today is that they look at stats and don't watch...
No.3
Ron Tepper		04:46 PM
01/29/2007
Bill,I agree that the Steelers are in a state of decline but hold judgement on Tomlin.Give the guy a break. If you really want to...
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