The Pittsburgh Steelers changed head coaches, hired an offensive-minded play-caller, and still haven't escaped the conservative tendencies fans spent years blaming on Mike Tomlin.
Pittsburgh is 4-2 after escaping Tampa Bay with an overtime win, so this isn't an argument that Mike McCarthy has failed. It's an argument that Steelers fans expecting a philosophical revolution misunderstood what they were getting.
McCarthy's reputation comes from offense, and deservedly so. His 2021 Cowboys led the NFL with 31.2 points per game; his 2022 team finished fourth, and the 2023 Cowboys again led the league at 29.9. Green Bay routinely produced elite offenses with Aaron Rodgers. McCarthy knows how to build scoring attacks.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans confused offensive pedigree with aggressiveness
McCarthy's history also contains plenty of evidence that offensive success doesn't automatically mean aggressive game management. His most infamous example came in the 2014 NFC Championship Game, when Green Bay reached Seattle's 1-yard line on consecutive early possessions and settled for field goals both times. NFL.com documented the decisions after Green Bay eventually blew a 16-0 lead.
Dallas showed both sides of McCarthy. He occasionally attacked fourth down, including a failed fourth-and-3 attempt against the Rams in his first game there. He also had stretches when a loaded offense became surprisingly cautious. The coach who oversaw explosive scoring totals wasn't automatically the guy treating every high-leverage possession like an invitation to attack.
Pittsburgh hired McCarthy to change more than the playbook. After years of Tomlin teams leaning on defense, field position, and close-game execution, the appeal of an offensive head coach was supposed to bring a different level of initiative when points were available. So far, that shift has been underwhelming.
That distinction matters in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have already watched McCarthy's offense sputter badly, including three points against New England and another three-quarter slog against Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh ranks 18th in scoring through six games despite Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, and an offensive head coach.
McCarthy deserves credit when he does push the button. His fourth-down decision, with Pittsburgh protecting a narrow lead against Indianapolis, helped extend a touchdown drive, and that aggression was exactly what Steelers fans wanted. The frustration is that those moments haven't become the identity.
McCarthy being from Pittsburgh and coaching the team he grew up cheering for is a great story. Six games into this experiment, though, the nostalgia is getting old. Same crap, different coach.
Add us as a preferred source on Google