After the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round of the NFL Playoffs, 28-14, there have been some questions about the future of head coach Mike Tomlin. While there has been a debate about whether the Steelers and Tomlin should part ways after another early playoff exit, ESPN's Damien Woody gave his thoughts while using a saying from the long-time head coach.

The loss to the Ravens marks the sixth straight playoff loss for Pittsburgh which ties for the longest postseason losing streak with the Miami Dolphins. Woody would be on “Get Up” on ESPN and used Tomlin's quote of “the standard is the standard” and questioned if the playoff disappointment is part of that.

“I think it’s time, I think it’s time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to move in a different direction, I don’t say that lightly because I love Mike Tomlin, I love what he stands for,” Woody said. “I love the mentality that he brings but Mike Tomlin, who is a word magician. One of the things he always says is, ‘The standard is the standard.’ well what is the Standard in Pittsburgh right now? The standard right now is you’re talking about a guy in Mike Tomlin, who is the only Super Bowl-winning coach to lose 6 straight playoff games, 6 straight one & done. Is that the standard of the Pittsburgh Steelers?”

He would further say that it can't be accredited to quarterback play or issues with the offensive system, but that “there is a bigger problem” with the team under Tomlin.

Steelers and Mike Tomlin have “run its course”

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

While some may feel the Steelers losing Tomlin could be a grave mistake, Woody feels it could be time to say the tenure has run its course.

“I don’t want to hear about Quarterbacks, I don’t want to hear about offensive system,” Woody said. “There is a bigger problem in the Steelers organization right now, there’s a bigger problem. I could have an affinity towards Mike Tomlin but also in the same breath understand that sometimes things run it’s course. We’ve seen it with Andy Reid in Philadelphia.”

Looking back at Tomlin's quote, he's known for saying that “the standard is the standard” which he proclaims was made up by himself when explaining it on the “L3eadership” podcast.

“I made it up, I can actually say I made that one up,” Tomlin said. “I just hate seeking comfort and comfort being identified as adversity that the game of football presents, or the game of life presents, and for me, it's so easy to get caught up in why you're not successful. And I just always want to reiterate to our guys that every man is capable. We've got a job to do, we've got an objective to to achieve, and regardless of circumstance, it's our job to pursue and attain those objectives. And so regardless of who's available to us, regardless of what's going on, game circumstances, venue, and so forth. The level of expectation is the same.”

The Steelers would have a solid season going 10-7, putting them second in the AFC North before being eliminated by their rivals in the wild-card round. It remains to be seen if Pittsburgh and Tomlin will split ways as he has had immense success.