Mike Tomlin on Tuesday said he wanted to avoid any potential distractions with two important games remaining in the regular season for the Steelers when he called offensive line coach Adrian Klemm into his office and gave him permission to leave for the same post at the University of Oregon.
With two games remaining, the Steelers (7-7-1) need to win both to have a chance to earn a spot in the playoffs.
That starts this week with a game Monday night at Heinz Field against the Browns (7-8), before the Steelers travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens (8-7) in their regular season finale.
"He and I had been in conversation dating back the last week or so regarding the potential of that," Tomlin said of Klemm, whom he gave permission to speak to Oregon about the opening. "He did an awesome job of being professional and communicating. At the same time, he displayed unwavering commitment, so I didn’t have any concerns as it pertains to Adrian. I wanted to alleviate any questions, whether they’re inside or outside, whether we’re circling the wagons and everybody is zeroed in on this opportunity."
Word leaked last week that Klemm was being hired by Oregon head coach Dan Lanning as the Steelers were preparing to travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs, a game they lost 36-10.
The Steelers start two rookies in center Kendrick Green and left tackle Dan Moore, along with first-year player John Leglue making his first three career starts the past three weeks in place of injured Kevin Dotson. Tomlin didn't want his young offensive lineman wondering what was going on with their position coach instead of being focused on the task at hand. So he eliminated any potential distraction.
"It provides tremendous clarity for us as we zero in on the last component of this season," Tomlin said.
Klemm, who received a pay raise from Oregon, had one year remaining on his current contract with the Steelers and sources say he was not in danger of being fired at the end of this season, despite some struggles by the team's young offensive line. He was in his first season as offensive line coach after being elevated after two seasons as the assistant offensive line coach under Shaun Sarrett, who was not retained after the 2020 season.
It also created an opportunity for assistant offensive line coach Chris Morgan, who will replace Klemm, to show Tomlin if he's capable of being a positive influence moving forward for the remainder of the Steelers' season.
But the opportunity isn't so much in the teaching aspect of things. As the assistant offensive line coach, Morgan has already been involved in that.
What Tomlin wants to see is if Morgan, who came to the Steelers after spending the previous six seasons with the Falcons, can add something to the game-planning aspect of preparation.
"I think it’s a good opportunity for me to gain some exposure to CMo because he’ll be a candidate for the job," Tomlin said. "What better way to see what he is capable of than allow him to do the job for the remaining portion of the season? I’m excited about the spin that his perspective can bring us. We also have an additional day of preparation. There’s an increased opportunity there from a schematic and planning standpoint to have his presence felt. I’m excited and optimistic about that."
To Tomlin's point, Morgan isn't reinventing the wheel at this point when it comes to blocking schemes or what he's teaching players. But he can make a difference in game planning.
The Steelers' assistant coaches come up with a game plan each week, with the position coaches having a big voice in the room in terms of what they feel their unit can and cannot make work. The assistant position coaches are tasked more with helping the position coaches above them in terms of practice plans and details while also working with the players down the roster.
Morgan long worked under current 49ers head coach and run-game guru Kyle Shanahan, first in Washington from 2011 through 2013, then with the Falcons in 2015 and 16, producing some big running games along the way.
In 2011, Washington was 25 in the league in rushing with Roy Helu and Tim Hightower as the main ball carriers. The next season, Washington jumped to second with Alfred Morris posting a 1,000-yard season.
Morgan also was assistant offensive line coach in Seattle in 2014 when the Seahawks led the NFL in rushing and won the Super Bowl.
He then was recommended by Shanahan in Atlanta the following season as offensive line coach and the Falcons jumped from 19th in the NFL in rushing to 5th in 2016 with Devonta Freeman posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Things tailed off in his final four seasons with the Falcons as they finished 13th, 27th, 30th and 27th, but the drop off came when it was the likes of Tevin Coleman, Ito Smith and, in 2020, Todd Gurley, as the main ball carrier.
The Steelers have tried to run the ball more consistently than they have in previous seasons, and running back Najee Harris needs 16 yards Sunday to become just the second rookie in team history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season, but the running game has been spotty. They currently rank 29th in the NFL in rushing after being dead last in 2020.
The Steelers did, however, rush for 115 yards in their first meeting this season against the Browns in Cleveland in Week 8, a game they won 15-10, with Harris producing 91 of those yards on 26 carries.
Finding a way to repeat that performance is a must. And Tomlin felt the best way to do that was to allow Klemm to leave.
"This is a critical stage for us. This is a critical week," Tomlin said. "The road is extremely narrow, and so we’re circling the wagons. That’s just one of the ways I thought it would be appropriate to do so in an effort to engineer victory this week and get singularly, collectively professionally focused."