Mike Tomlin has had very little success against the New England Patriots over the course of his head coaching career in Pittsburgh, with his Steelers having posted a 3-10 record against New England, a mark that includes an AFC Championship loss in 2017.
But when it comes to facing current Patriots' coach Mike Vrabel, the Steelers' boss has an unblemished 3-0 mark.
All 13 of those games against the Patriots came with Bill Belichick as New England's head coach. Tomlin is a model head coach in the NFL, and he's only the third the Steelers have had since Chuck Noll started in the Steel City in 1969. Tomlin is the league's longest-tenured head coach
The Patriots are riding high after last week's 33-27 victory over the Dolphins in Miami, the team's first win in South Florida in six years. Even though Tomlin is 3-0 against Vrabel, Pittsburgh hasn't beaten the Patriots since the 2018 season, and New England went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
Illusive win over Mike Tomlin can keep Mike Vrabel and the Patriots trending upward
If the first two games of the season are any indication, these aren't your dad's Steelers in terms of the physicality and grit that organization is known for. Pittsburgh barely squeaked by the Jets in Week 1 and was beaten up by the Seattle Seahawks in a 31-17 loss last week.
If there's a great time to play this particular Pittsburgh team, it's early in the season. The Steelers are vulnerable at the line of scrimmage, and they have a quarterback in his 40s. If the Patriots can establish the line of scrimmage, the curtain should fall on Vrabel's troubles against Tomlin.
Pittsburgh is one of those teams that nobody wants to see in November and December. Better to get them now in September while they're a hot mess.
On the other side of the token, Tomlin's record against the Patriots represents the worst the league's longest tenured head coach has against any team. Aaron Rodgers has also not won at Gillette Stadium, and this may be his last chance to do so.
This may be one of the most vulnerable Pittsburgh teams that Tomlin has had in quite some time. The Steelers are going to be a tough out, even in Foxborough, but I like Vrabel's chances to finally get himself in the win column against one of the best coaches the NFL has seen.