The Pittsburgh Steelers are in great danger of missing the boat to the playoffs entering Week 17 of the season, and for FOX Sports’ Jason Whitlock, there’s one person largely to blame for the team’s debacle and late-season collapse: Mike Tomlin.

“The Steelers are sloppy. They turn the ball over at an alarming rate. They are constantly involved in headline-making distractions. They are not good in situational football. They have lost 10-straight coach’s challenges. Their offense is imbalanced – they rely too much on the pass. Their head coach and franchise quarterback often seen to be on different pages. Can Mike Tomlin fix all that next season? I don’t think so. Not in Pittsburgh, there’s too much history. A culture has been established that Tomlin cannot repair in a single offseason.”

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Whitlock also singled out a crucial play during the Steelers’ 31-28 gut punch of a road loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 to further question whether Mike Tomlin deserves to remain as head coach of the team. That’s the fake punt that the Steelers called and ultimately failed in executing late in the contest.

The Steelers can still sneak into the playoffs, but that happening is no longer entirely in their own hands. For them to have a game schedule beyond Week 17, they need to beat the Cincinnati Bengals this coming weekend and hope that the Cleveland Browns take down the Baltimore Ravens.

Of course, Tomlin and the Steelers can silence their critics by making and going deep in the playoffs. Until then, they can expect to hear more from Whitlock.