Tomlin, Steelers Trust Eachother In Year Two

[.GR]

TORONTO - Building a Steel Curtain is one thing.

Being head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is an entirely different construction project.

Mike Tomlin has learned that firsthand.

Thanks to last year's 10-6 record and AFC North division title, Tomlin started to distance himself from the long shadow cast by storied predecessor Bill Cowher. Tomlin also enters this season having established more trust with Pittsburgh's veteran players.

None of this came easy.

"He understands his team more," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said after a recent preseason loss to Buffalo in Toronto. "This year, things are a little more laid back but we still have the same type of focus. Last year, he was coming into a situation where he didn't know anybody and had to do a lot of things his way. It was kind of tough on us."

The same goes for Tomlin.

He was only 34 years old when hired by the Steelers in February 2007, capping a rapid rise through the NFL's coaching ranks. Tomlin was a University of Cincinnati defensive backs coach when tapped to handle Tampa Bay's vaunted secondary in 2001. Five years later, he headed to Minnesota for one season as defensive coordinator before landing the Steelers gig.

Speaking in a Toronto hotel lobby prior to the Bills game, Tomlin said none of those previous experiences could prepare him for all the responsibilities that come with leading a team. Even though he left much of the defensive coaching to esteemed coordinator Dick LeBeau, Tomlin found himself being frequently bogged down in minutiae beyond Xs and Os.

"There are a lot of administrative duties that come with the job," Tomlin said. "Some of the things you take for granted as an assistant like an itinerary — we're doing this at such-and-such a time, this is how the practice is structured — all of that is yours as a head coach. You know that going in, but the minute details in organizing each minute of every day for a group of 53 players and all your assistants are time-consuming."

At the same time, Tomlin said he was "evaluating everyone and everything" inside a franchise accustomed to Cowher's modus operandi over the previous 15 seasons. Veterans weren't extended as many liberties, especially in regards to a lighter practice workload. That created some friction.

"We were feeling each other out," said linebacker Larry Foote, a seven-year Steelers veteran. "We were coming in the building not really knowing the schedule or what to expect. We were just learning on the go."

Even after Pittsburgh opened the season at 3-0, tackle Max Starks said there "was still that hangover like, 'I can't believe (Cowher) is gone and this guy is coming in and just disrupting everything.' We had a hard time just dealing with the transition. But I think we responded a lot faster than most teams do when going through an extreme coaching change like that."

The extremes are gone in Pittsburgh. Tomlin said he is doing a better job of balancing coaching responsibilities. Having stronger personal relationships with Steelers veterans and a group of younger players he describes as "humble" also has helped.

"After a year's experience with this group, there are certain guys you don't have to ask questions about," Tomlin said.

One of them is Ben Roethlisberger. Tomlin said the fifth-year quarterback has emerged as a more vocal team leader after previously being in the shadows of guys like running back Jerome Bettis, guard Alan Faneca and wide receiver Hines Ward.

"He had impressive numbers last year," said Tomlin, referring to Roethlisberger's 32-touchdown, 11-interception campaign. "But the important thing is that he does what it takes for this team to win. I know that's his line of thinking."

Roethlisberger will be surrounded by better talent at the skill positions than in 2007. Running back Willie Parker has returned from a broken leg that sidelined him for the season's final two games and wide receiver Santonio Holmes is showing signs of stardom during the preseason. The Steelers also used their first two draft choices on running back Rashard Mendenhall and wide receiver Limas Sweed.

Defensively, Pittsburgh returns almost every starter from the NFL's top-ranked unit in 2007 and is expected to receive larger contributions this year from second-year linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons.

So why aren't the Steelers being mentioned among the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders?

Start with an offensive line that may sorely miss Faneca, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection who signed this offseason with the New York Jets. The Steelers allowed Roethlisberger to get sacked 53 times in 17 games last season, even with Faneca in the lineup. Judging by Pittsburgh's shaky blocking during the preseason, that number could actually increase — provided Roethlisberger survives.

Injuries and age, especially at defensive end, are concerns for the Steelers defense. Having missed five games last year, star safety Troy Polamalu also was out for much of this preseason with a strained hamstring. Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton has struggled with weight and conditioning issues.

Tomlin also still has much to prove after completing his first season. He needs to have Pittsburgh better prepared to play on the road, as the Steelers dropped three games against teams that finished with non-winning records. And just like when Cowher lost first-round playoff games in his first two years, Tomlin has yet to experience late-season success. The 2007 Steelers dropped four of their final five games, including a home playoff loss to Jacksonville.

Still, there is something unquestioned in Pittsburgh that existed before Tomlin's arrival and will remain after his eventual departure: An intense dislike for the Cleveland Browns. All the preseason media hype that has surrounded the Browns following last year's 10-6 campaign has struck a nerve with the Steelers.

"A lot of people are picking Cleveland in our division," Foote said. "They gave us a lot of motivation this offseason."

Not that Pittsburgh needed much extra under Tomlin.

"He's had a year to learn us, so he knows our little nuances," Starks said. "He knows what gets us going."