Forget Myles Garrett or A.J. Brown. In my book, NBC Sports made the NFL’s most consequential move of the off-season by hiring Mike Tomlin for its studio coverage.
Tomlin made a sensational regular-season TV debut on Wednesday night during NBC’s season-opening telecast of Seahawks-Patriots. The longtime Steelers coach demonstrated why he was the most desired NFL TV free agent since Tom Brady.
The Super Bowl-winning coach was commanding, succinct, incisive. Tomlin wasn’t Captain Obvious; a mistake many rookie sportscasters make. Instead, he understood from the jump that his job is to help viewers understand the complicated mindset of a Super Bowl-winning coach.
The Super Bowl champion Seahawks are now the hunted, not the hunters, Tomlin warned in the pregame show. They can’t be focused on rings, bling, banners, or the banquet circuit. They must retain their hunger and drive. And Seattle did it too, coming back in the fourth quarter to beat the Patriots 13-10.
Only the Chiefs and Patriots have repeated as Super Bowl champs in the 21st century. Tomlin wisely noted Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is likely using all the talk about the rival Rams to fire up his troops. “That’s low-hanging fruit for Coach Macdonald,” he said.
