Story by
Mike McCarthy expected to fix Steelers’ biggest problem
- Story by
- Mike McCarthy expected to fix Steelers’ biggest problem
Mike McCarthy was hired to do more than steady the Pittsburgh Steelers . He was hired to fix the problem that has been hindering the team and frustrating Steelers fans for years.
Pittsburgh has not had an offensive-minded head coach since the Chuck Noll era, and the lack of consistent scoring and explosive plays became one of the defining complaints of Mike Tomlin's tenure. The Steelers had strong defensive identities, physical teams, and playoff expectations, but the offense too often felt stuck in the past.
Advertisement
That is why Steelers insider Gerry Dulac believes it is fair to expect real improvement under McCarthy.
"I don't think anybody's going to argue that it's right to expect something better, something more productive because you're talking about a guy who not only is a proven head coach, he's a proven play caller," Dulac said on the May 21 episode of "The Rich Eisen Show."
That comment came after Rich Eisen brought up Pittsburgh's offensive decline since Bruce Arians left. Arians served as the Steelers' offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011, a stretch that included two Super Bowl appearances and wins in Super Bowls 40 and 43.
Advertisement
Arians also had Ben Roethlisberger , Antonio Brown , and Le'Veon Bell at his disposal, so the circumstances were different. But the larger point remains: Pittsburgh has spent years under an old-school offensive approach that repeatedly failed to strike fear into defenses. The offense was consistently called out as predictable by opponents, yet nothing was ever done to remedy it.
McCarthy now gives the Steelers a head coach with a long track record of calling plays. He has done it across 16 seasons as an NFL head coach, including a dozen with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and two more with Dak Prescott in Dallas .
Brian Angelichio will coordinate the offense, and his history with McCarthy in Green Bay gives the staff some built-in familiarity. But McCarthy calling plays is the real shift.
For Steelers fans tired of stale, conservative football, Pittsburgh doesn't need the offense to be slightly better -- it needs to become a unit that can finally help lead the team instead of holding it back.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Mike McCarthy gives Steelers offense reason for optimism
