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Paul Zeise: Mike Tomlin has hitched his wagon to a disappointing defense

The Steelers defensive staff got a vote of confidence Wednesday from Mike Tomlin. That’s a strange move, considering the defense is the reason the Steelers failed to get to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.

Tomlin believes in his coaches. He is loyal to his assistants, and there is something to be said about loyalty. Keeping the defensive staff intact, though, makes no sense. Tomlin has now staked his future, his legacy, to the performance of that staff — the same staff that has let him down two years in a row in the season’s biggest games.