Pittsburgh fans are patient folks, as you can be when you've won six Super Bowls, two in the last five seasons. So when Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for the first four games of 2010, many fans wrote off the season, figuring that the Steelers would start 1-3 or 0-4 without Ben and never make up the ground.
Fortunately for them, Mike Tomlin doesn't think that way. His philosophy is what all coaches preach: "next man up,'' whether it be Dennis Dixon or the ancient Charlie Batch (actually he's only 35, not too old to play quarterback. He just seems older).
So while it's hard to make a judgment after three games, Tomlin's job with the Steelers has probably been the best in the NFL early in the season. Who else? The six best and six worst so far, not necessarily in line with their team's record:
1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh. Actually, the Steelers won the first two games with their defense -- they scored one offensive touchdown, the game-winner in overtime against Atlanta. Again, credit Tomlin. Credit Dick LeBeau, the 72-year-old defensive mastermind, who is almost twice Tomlin's age. "Next man up'' means turning to a unit that was subpar by Pittsburgh standards last season without Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith. They've returned and so has cornerback Bryant McFadden, brought back from Arizona to shore up what had been a weakness last season.
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