While still only two games into his first season at the helm, Mike McCarthy also knows Steelers fans aren’t always patient and he can’t wait too long to fix his team’s clear offensive issues. Coming off scoring just three points in a 20-3 loss to the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, McCarthy admitted a change in personnel might be necessary.
Not willing to convey exactly what type of changes may occur, McCarthy knows the concerns from Week 1 have only been intensified following the rough showing in New England.
Mike McCarthy Teases Changes to the Steelers’ Offense
“It’s two weeks. I think the big thing is — the buzz words are to come in here and say everything’s correctible, we can fix everything. That’s a matter of fact, it’s true, but if you’re making the same mistakes, those are the things, whether you’re young or a veteran, that’s what we have to address,” McCarthy responded when asked what’s wrong with the offense during his postgame press conference.
Pittsburgh Struggled in Both the Passing and Running Game on Sunday
On top of failing to get into the end zone all day, the Steelers only produced 235 yards of total offense. A week after recording 40 pass attempts in a win over the Falcons, Aaron Rodgers tossed 39 in Week 2. However, he only completed 23 of them for 187 yards. He also threw his first interception of the season after playing a clean game in the season opener.
Jaylen Warren led the team in rushing with just 43 yards and DK Metcalf failed to make a significant impact again, catching four passes, but for only 27 yards.
And even though it may take time for the offense to gel, Steelers fans have yet to experience seeing anything close to McCarthy’s genius on offense to this point. But without many viable options to shake up the depth chart, it will remain to be seen what happens, if anything, personnel wise.
McCarthy Took Accountability
Still believing in his plan, McCarthy took accountability for the slow start offensively, drawing from a lesson he learned a a young coach.
“We’ve got to look at the volume, too. That’s Marty Schottenheimer, that was his thing. It was a great lesson for a young coach to learn, and here I am some old bastard that didn’t do it this week. If it’s not clean, you cut the volume down, and we’re not clean on offense. So, the volume is getting cut down. That’s the first starting point, and that’s my fault. I felt it earlier in the week.”
McCarthy and his staff will now have another week to figure things out before the Steelers return home for their first AFC North matchup of the young season. Pittsburgh will welcome Joe Burrow and the 2-0 Cincinnati Bengals to Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Mike McCarthy Puts Entire Offense on Notice After Poor Performance