This is the third head coaching job Mike McCarthy has had during his NFL career. Don't anticipate the Pittsburgh Steelers to show any sign of panic during his first season with the team, and no one should imagine him getting fired, even if they suffer their first losing season in over two decades. One thing is for certain: the early struggles under McCarthy shouldn't come as a surprise.
McCarthy has coached the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, and neither had immediate success when he became their head coach. For one reason or another, it appears that it takes a season of mediocrity before the Steelers' new leader produces winning results.
It will be interesting to see if that will be the case during his first season in Pittsburgh, or more of the same.
With a veteran team at his disposal, one would have to bet that this club will find a way to be competitive. Maybe they won't be challenging for a Super Bowl this year, but they could be in the thick of the playoff race come December. The history books have shown that the first season with Mike McCarthy as head coach can be bumpy, and that could always be the case once again.
Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike McCarthy has had problems during first season with new teams
Going back to 2006, when Mike McCarthy got his first head coaching gig with the Packers, he produced an 8-8 record. Brett Favre was the aging quarterback while a young Aaron Rodgers sat behind him on the bench. That following season is when things started to turn around for Green Bay. They saw a lot of improvement, which continues to show the trend of McCarthy needing time.
During that 2006 season, McCarthy had a rather poor offensive attack. They passed the ball the most out of the entire NFL that season and ranked 21st in rushing attempts. That imbalance is something the Steelers offense is seeing. The 2007 campaign saw the Packers' rushing attempts decrease further in the NFL standings, but with an elite season from Favre, their offense blossomed.
His time in Dallas already had an established quarterback in Dak Prescott. The issue that plagued the Cowboys during McCarthy's first year with the team was Prescott going down with a season-ending injury. It derailed their chances of making some noise that season.
Although they went 6-10, McCarthy still led an offensive attack that attempted a ton of passes, even though he started to lean more heavily on the run eventually.
The following season saw McCarthy lead Dallas to a 12-5 record behind an explosive offense. Their offense was ranked in the top ten in points scored, total yards, passing yards, and rushing yards. It was a massive rebound season for the Cowboys. This just goes to show that this year could be bumpy for McCarthy and the Steelers, but there is hope on the horizon.
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