The Steelers didn’t play in Week 5, but they certainly won. All three of Pittsburgh’s AFC North rivals suffered a loss, from the Browns falling in London to the Vikings to the starting-quarterback-less
Ravens and Bengals each losing by multiple scores.
Entering Week 6, the AFC North standings are as follows:
- Steelers (3-1)
- Bengals (2-3)
- Ravens (1-4)
- Browns (1-4)
It’s a good time to be a Steeler fan — and Mike Tomlin.
Wh0’s the best head coach in the AFC North?
I’ve had my criticisms of Mike Tomlin over the last several seasons. With no playoff win since the 2016-17 season, it’s hard not to.
But while every AFC North team has had a playoff win more recently than Pittsburgh, that’s far from the only metric from which to judge coaching quality.
And because of that, Mike Tomlin would still be my pick for the best coach in the division.
Because if you talk about Tomlin falling short with good teams, that criticism applies just as much to John Harbaugh’s Ravens, who have only made one conference championship with Lamar Jackson, and Zac Taylor’s Bengals, who had a Super Bowl team with Joe Burrow and haven’t even made the postseason since the 2022-23 season.
And Tomlin, over those same Jackson/Burrow years, has managed to keep the Steelers in playoff contention with significantly worse quarterback play.
What about the Browns? Kevin Stefanski has had his moments (2020 Coach of the Year), but still has a career losing record with the Browns. He hasn’t shown the same floor raising abilities of Tomlin.
Mike Tomlin is certainly not above criticism, but he has a very good case for being the best head coach in the AFC North.
Who’s your pick for the best head coach in the AFC North? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
