Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t just lose; they unraveled on Sunday. A 26-7 blowout at home to the Buffalo Bills left Acrisure Stadium deflated and eventually hostile for good reason.
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For starters, despite Aaron Rodgers gutsily playing through his fracture to inspire the offense, it didn’t move the needle much. Neither did the experienced defensive core, led by Cam Heyward, do much to stop Josh Allen and Co. By the fourth quarter, with the offense stuck at 166 total yards and the defense gassed after giving up 249 rushing yards, even “Fire Tomlin” chants began pouring down from the stands.
“Fire Tomlin” pic.twitter.com/wXxJd0evKt
— Noah Strackbein (@NoahStrackbein) November 30, 2025
It was loud, sustained, and perhaps for the first time in Tomlin’s 19-year Pittsburgh tenure, unmistakably personal. It felt like Steelers fans were begging the ownership to listen to them for once.
So when Tomlin was asked about the chants after the game, he didn’t deflect, nor did he hide behind excuses. “I share their frustration tonight… We didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality of it,” he said.
But for many, including analyst and former Browns DE Emmanuel Acho, that reality has been true for far longer than just Sunday. To Acho, the problem isn’t the Steelers’ one bad night against the Bills. It’s a decade-long trend that has quietly pushed the team to a breaking point.
“How I see it, Mike Tomlin keeps trying to put a band-aid on things that need surgery,” Acho began on Speakeasy. He then rattled off nearly all of the veteran names the Steelers have counted on in the recent past with not much success.
“Russell Wilson — band-aid. Justin Fields — band-aid. Aaron Rodgers — band-aid. Jalen Ramsey — band-aid. Darius Slay — band-aid,” he said. In Acho’s mind, the Steelers’ biggest issue is Tomlin’s stubbornness in relying on old heads and refusing to rebuild his core.
“The roster needs surgery. It needs a surgical overhaul… Like James Jones said, ‘Hey, we’re getting older.’ Watt getting older. Everybody and their momma on that squad getting older, including Aaron Rodgers.”
The criticism then turned blunt. “So Mike Tomlin… he has to go, because he’s not going to win another Super Bowl in Pittsburgh… It’s been a long time since Mike Tomlin even sniffed the Super Bowl, let alone sniffed multiple playoff wins,” he argued.
As harsh as it may sound, the numbers do back Acho’s point. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have lost five of their last seven. They’re 6-11 in their last 17 since starting last season 10-3. They are 6-6 this year despite importing Aaron Rodgers, reshaping the roster with quality veterans like Darius Slay, and clinging to familiar expectations.
“Six-and-six, ten-and-seven, nine-and-eight — good, good, good… but not great. They haven’t been great in over a decade… The Steelers are no longer going to be great as long as they’re content being good,” pointed out Acho.
HC Tomlin has never had a losing season with Pittsburgh, which is truly a remarkable achievement. But what’s also noteworthy is the fact that the Steelers during this successful period haven’t been near the Lombardi trophy. And after the chants on Sunday, it’s clear the fanbase is no longer content with “good.”
At 6-6, Tomlin may survive long enough to coach next week’s Ravens matchup. But if this trajectory continues, the decision fans chanted for may no longer be a matter of if, but when.
