It just doesn't catch.

And it's not that the only coach in Steelers history to win division titles in his first two seasons is afraid to look around, as if he is on a high wire and might fall off. Tomlin has oozed confidence since he wowed the Steelers during job interviews two years ago and catapulted himself from longshot candidate to Bill Cowher's successor.

Tomlin, however, is nothing if not forward thinking, though even he can't deny here that he has grown into the job. And that may best be seen in the difference in the Steelers going into the postseason compared to 2007.

"Last year, we limped into the playoffs and weren't playing our best ball," veteran defensive Brett Keisel said. "This year I feel like we are playing our best ball at the right time. I think he's done an excellent job of understanding where his players are physically in December. December, you have to take care of your troops."

That is not to say Tomlin neglected them last season.

It's just that he could not waver from the hard stance he took in his first season as the Steelers' head coach ? partly because he had to establish his authority and partly because 2007 served as a feeling-out process for the coach and his players.

That Tomlin eased off the throttle ? the Steelers didn't practice in full pads nearly as much in the latter part of the season compared to 2007 ? reflects that he is more comfortable in his job and with the players he knows and understands better.

"I think all first-year coaches have to learn their Football team and set parameters on how you want to do things," said Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who has been a head coach at the college level. "Then once you learn your team and your people, you're able to just do a better job. It's really hard to crack the whip and come down on guys after you've been soft on them. It's always easier to get softer."

The signs of Tomlin doing just that have been subtle but significant. He did not run quite as rigorous a training camp this year as he did in 2007, and that may be one reason why the Steelers' legs proved to be fresher in December.

He also gave established veterans such as wide receiver Hines Ward Wednesdays off as far as practice. Ward, 32, responded with his first 1,000-yard receiving season since 2004 and said the time off during the middle of the week did "wonders" for him.

Tomlin seemed to apply the right touch in other areas as well in leading the Steelers to a 12-4 record, despite one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Take what he did after a disheartening 20-14 loss to the New York Giants in late October.

Position meetings are usually held the Mondays after games and Tomlin made it a point to show up at the one for the offensive line and offer words of encouragement. This came less than 24 hours after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had been sacked five times and after a holding penalty on right tackle Willie Colon had negated a Steelers touchdown.

"Usually he never comes into the room and he came in and said 'Listen, I believe in you guys. I like this unit,'" said Colon, who had been particularly distraught following the loss because of the penalty. "I don't think he would have done that last year. He knows what he has and knows where he has to be, so I just think it shows the growth and maturity of where he is."

The message Tomlin delivered that day is one he heeds on a daily basis: stay focused on what is ahead and do not dwell on what is in the past. That determination to stay the course has impressed his players and coaches.

"He has a sense of urgency about him every day," said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who has been an NFL head coach, "and he approaches every day as a day of importance."

Such an approach has not precluded Tomlin from taking time to get to know about his players outside of Football.

"He actually wanted to come to my son's (pee-wee Football) championship game, but they moved it to a Sunday," inside linebacker Larry Foote said. "He shares stories about his family all the time. He's a little more open (this season), a little more talkative, a little more confident."

The 36-year-old Tomlin mixes easily with his players, some of whom are only a couple of years younger than he is. Last week, he stopped while walking through the Steelers' locker room to partake in a favorite pasttime of the players before and after practice: shooting balls of tape into a plastic garbage can.

Tomlin's interaction with the players has not blurred the line between them. He made that clear in December after Willie Parker publicly criticized the Steelers' approach to running the ball.

Tomlin offered a swift and pointed response to Parker's comments and produced a memorable sound bite when he said, "Every morning I come to work I walk past five Lombardis (trophies), not five rushing titles."

A couple of days later, Tomlin made the chastened running back a captain for the Steelers' game against the Baltimore Ravens. It was his way of showing Parker how important he is to the team.

That ability to move seamlessly between tough and tender and to apply both in his dealings with his players may be why Foote said last week, "Us having this monstrous schedule I don't know why his name isn't up for coach of the year."

Tomlin has led the Steelers to two more wins this season compared to 2007 as well as a first-round bye in the playoffs. He also has notched some signature wins that his rookie season lacked.

If he won't talk about how he has changed, Tomlin, whose 22 wins are the most by a Steelers coach in his first two seasons, will concede that growth is natural part of the process.

And when asked if he is better in his second season as a head coach, Tomlin said, "You would hope so. And you would hope I'm better the next year and the next year. I know Dick LeBeau has that mentality, and he's 50 years in, so I think it goes without saying that hopefully we're getting better. If we're not, we're not real smart."