The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the few teams in the NFL that prioritize stability and consistency on and off the field. When they think they’ve found the right person for the job, they stick around, and Kevin Colbert is a great example. Colbert served as the Steelers’ GM from 2000 through the 2022 NFL Draft, drafting some of the names now in Pittsburgh history. Today’s NFL analysis is something Colbert doesn’t always agree with. The former Steelers GM is not a big fan of Analytics.
During Colbert’s tenure as general manager, the Steelers advanced to three Super Bowls, winning two (Super Bowl XL and XLIII) and losing one (XLV). The lessons Colbert helped bring to Pittsburgh were a major reason for the franchise’s success during his tenure. Players like Lawrence Timmons, Maurkice Pouncey, Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger became household names with the Steelers under Colbert’s tutelage.
While Colbert hasn’t made all the picks he’s managed, it’s safe to say the landscape of the league has changed since his retirement. Focusing on analytics is one aspect of the game that Colbert doesn’t consider as important as others. Colbert appeared on “Forever True To The You: The North Carolina Athletics Podcast” on Wednesday, where the topic of analysis came up and he was asked if he thought the numbers were overused. “I … toward the end of my career with the Steelers, he definitely played a major role …
We encouraged our young scouts. I said, “Hey, keep me posted. There were people who analyzed and I challenged them by saying, “Tell me what I’m missing.” I said, “If you can measure the intangibles, please tell me, because that’s the most important thing.” And there are certain situations in play… What do we need to do and this is the answer, but are we also measuring the health and presence of our team? I can sense the mob mentality of who is hot and who is not….
“I think you don’t trust.”It’s hard to argue with that kind of logic when he’s had such an extraordinary Hall of Fame career. Colbert’s take on the game may seem dated, but it pays to look beyond the numbers. When the game moves very fast and there is no downtime, speed becomes the focus and analysis helps move things along quickly. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up for healthy debate, but Colbert knows whose side he’s on. The Steelers believe coaches measure the intangibles.
When you have a few hours or days to make a decision, you have time to look at the situation from all angles, but that’s not always the case in the NFL. The choice has to be made very quickly at this point and the choice is based on intuition and numbers. Colbert understands these moments better than most and wants the decisions to be in the hands of coaches who trust their instincts and not analytics when the pressure is on.“As a coach and a player, you have to be able to make decisive decisions under pressure, but I don’t think there is any analysis that measures that. I don’t know if there is something intangible that can measure that.
“I think it’s just the coach’s feelings at the time and his belief in the player who can play in that difficult situation.”Mike Tomlin has been in every situation the NFL has thrown at him, so when a high-pressure situation arises, he’s believed to rise to the occasion. However, for coaches with less than 20 years of experience, analysis becomes an attractive solution.As the Steelers bring in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith ahead of the 2024 season, will the team trust Smith’s intuition or December football numbers?H
ow much does Tomlin’s experience matter to your offensive strategy? There’s excitement and anxiety when big changes happen, but if Tomlin can build on his experience, the Steelers will have a great foundation to build on.
