Debut of former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on NBC SNF had highlight moments but was too careful and rehearsed

After spending many years with NBC, Michele Tafoya believes Mike Tomlin will be a star for the network this year after he got out of coaching. She believes Tomlin is one of the best people around the game of football & will be great on TV

It took almost the entire NBC Sunday Night Football pregame show, but just before the Hall of Fame Game began, new studio analyst Mike Tomlin was asked which division he believes is the NFL's toughest.

"Yeah, that's easy," the former Pittsburgh-Steelers-coach-turned-analyst said, "I thought you had a tough one: That's the NFC West, man. It's 'The Game of Thrones' out west.

"Everyone dies."

SUPER BOWL-WINNING COACH MIKE TOMLIN LANDS NBC ROLE ON 'FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA' BROADCAST

Tomlin earlier discussed what he's expecting out of his first NFL season away from the sideline.

"I'm looking forward to going undefeated," he joked.

And with that we got a glimpse why there are such high expectations for Tomlin in his rookie season on the pregame show prior to NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast.

In those moments, Tomlin was Tomlin. He was candid, pithy, insightful and even funny.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, right, talks to an official during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich)

But to say the once dynamic coach and leader was that during the rest of this one-hour broadcast is wrong. He wasn't. He was, instead, kind of scripted.

Rehearsed.

Tame.

So, he's got some growing to do.

We have no idea if Tomlin will tell producers to spare him their stay-safe broadcasting advice and give himself time to grow and loosen up. He might decide this season's work with NBC is a