All through his 19-year tenure main the s, former head coach Mike Tomlin managed roster dynamics that required equal elements tactical precision and human understanding. Few relationships had been as important, or as closely scrutinized, because the dynamic between Tomlin and his Corridor of Fame-bound quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.
Throughout a current look on “w,” Tomlin offered uncommon perception into how he efficiently coached Roethlisberger’s famously off-script, yard type of play, revealing why making an attempt to field in his star quarterback was by no means an choice.
When requested how he dealt with a quarterback who sometimes most well-liked enjoying exterior strict play calls, Tomlin defined that efficient management means tailoring the system to the person relatively than forcing a inflexible construction.
"Greater than something, man, it's my job to verify his expertise present up and to convey the sport to him," Tomlin mentioned. "I believe totally different gamers digest the sport in several methods and play with totally different kinds. Ben didn't like constraints, and so I all the time needed to accommodate that after I was succesful."
That flexibility allowed Roethlisberger to thrive throughout key moments, producing iconic, game-extending performs that outlined an period of s soccer. Slightly than viewing Massive Ben’s freelancing as a breakdown in self-discipline, Tomlin acknowledged it because the core mechanism of his quarterback’s genius.
Tomlin contrasted Roethlisberger’s intuitive playmaking with the methodical strategy favored by extra conventional signal-callers.
"Some guys strategy the sport like an engineer," Tomlin famous. "You recognize, he approaches the sport like a pickup basketball level guard, what I imply? There's a fluidity and an natural element to his recreation, and I simply by no means needed to stifle that."
By refusing to impose inflexible boundaries, Tomlin unlocked the complete potential of Roethlisberger’s instincts, proving that elite head teaching typically comes all the way down to realizing when to step again and let pure expertise cleared the path.
This text initially appeared on Steelers Wire: m
