A disastrous year for the Pennsylvania NFL teams, as both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Phildaelphia Eagles missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Mike Tomlin is keeping his job, but the Eagles’ failure to make the postseason in the last couple of years has cost him his job.
It’s probably an interesting coincidence that Reid began his tenure as the Eagles’ head coach in 1999. More than 100 wins, a Super Bowl appearance and five NFC Championship games later, it’s over.
Mike Tomlin hasn’t been the entire time with the Steelers. He replaced Bill Cowher in 2007. He won a Super Bowl on his second year at the job, the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl. After a 9-7 season that wasn’t enough for the playoffs, Tomlin led the Steelers to another Super Bowl appearance, this time losing to the Green Bay Packers. In six seasons with the team, he has a 63-33 record, making the playoffs four times out of six. While very disappointing, there wasn’t too much drama in Pittsburgh this year, knowing that the injuries, including to their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, were probably too much to overcome. They still finished 8-8.
There is one interesting pattern by the Steelers, who tend to miss the playoffs once every three seasons. Probably means nothing, but patterns tend to create discussions among sports fans, so there you have it.
Since 1999, the Steelers have had only one losing season (2003, 6-10). They won their division six times, winning the Super Bowl twice. It’s very similar on the other side of the state. The Eagles have had just three losing seasons since Andy Reid took over, winning six division titles and making the Super Bowl once. His great achievements meant nothing and current circumstances, which included some great and expensive signings over the last couple of years, led to his dismissal. Mike Tomlin probably needs to do worst than he has had up to this point in order to get the boot.