Many coaches have made a case for themselves to be a Coach of the Year candidate.
Although many various NFL pundits have put names out there for this award, Michael Lombardi believes there to be one obvious choice.
Mike Tomlin is the Coach of the Year, end of story. One of the best coaching jobs ever. His team improved 1000 percent over the 17 weeks. I don't have a vote, but he should win.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) January 9, 2023
Mike Tomlin is Lombardi’s pick.
Tomlin is the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that has yet to finish a season with a winning percentage of less than .500 under his tutelage.
Four weeks ago, the Steelers had a record of 5-8, and it looked like Tomlin’s winning streak was in serious jeopardy.
That all changed after their miraculous four-game win streak, where the Steelers took down the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns.
It’s clear that the Steelers players enjoy playing for Tomlin, and they fought their tails off over the past few weeks to begin their winning ways.
One of the reasons for their success is the rise of quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Although he started the season poorly, Pickett, who was the only quarterback drafted in the first round in 2022, played mistake-free football in the final three games of the season.
With a win over the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins stole the final AFC playoff spot from the Steelers, despite their convincing win over the Browns this week.
Even though they were unable to clinch a playoff spot, the Steelers will be able to build off of the late-season success they found this season, and will hopefully go back to their winning ways in the 2023 season.
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