Steelers' Mike McCarthy May Be Following A Trend That's Occured Twice Now In His Career

On Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cleveland Browns, 27-24, in a game that mirrored the season's trend. Pittsburgh has been very inconsistent through four games, with a seemingly different team showing up every week. Now at 2-2, the organization must find stability as the season goes on. Whether through schematic adjustments or personnel changes, something needs to change. 

With Mike McCarthy now leading the team, many thought things would be different, but he is currently following the same path he took with his previous teams. The fellow Yinzer previously coached the Dallas Cowboys and, before that, the Green Bay Packers. He won many games with both organizations, including a Super Bowl with the Packers, but his first season with each team was one to forget. 

In McCarthy's first season in Green Bay, the team went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. He then followed that season with a 13-3 record and an NFC Championship Game appearance. In his first season with the Cowboys, they went 6-10 in a disastrous season, then went 12-5 the next year and narrowly lost in the Wild Card Round. As a head coach, his first season with his new team has gone less than ideally, and one insider believes this is more than just a trend. 

Mark Kaboly recently appeared on Kaboly + Mack, where he pointed to McCarthy's opening seasons with the Cowboys and Packers and said that could happen again in Pittsburgh. After four games, the coaching staff is still getting a feel for its personnel, but after Thursday night's debacle, it may be bound for a losing season. 

"McCarthy did stink his first year in Dallas, and did stink his first year in Green Bay," Kaboly explained. "I've said that for a while now. I mean, two's a trend, what's three? I don't even know."

A big reason the Steelers hired McCarthy in January was his track record with quarterbacks. Pittsburgh has been in dire need of a franchise QB, and McCarthy is the coach who can find them one. At the same time, Art Rooney II wants to keep trying to win now, but McCarthy's coaching history suggests it likely won't happen in year one of his tenure. 

McCarthy's reunion with his longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers was supposed to be the Steelers' last go at a Super Bowl, with Rodgers supposedly retiring at season's end. TJ Watt is still searching for his first playoff win, and Cam Heyward is nearing the end of his career. Reuniting Rodgers and McCarthy was meant to give them one final chance at glory, but it doesn't appear to be going that way. 

Steelers Are Looking At Another Typical Season

Pittsburgh has been stuck in a pit of mediocrity since 2017, when they last won a playoff game. Since then, they've had more than 10 wins once. With three straight 10-7 seasons, they very well could be staring it down once again, if not worse. The defense is following its usual trends and showing up every other week and consistently conceding explosive plays. With the injuries in the secondary, it's unlikely this improves in the coming games, barring a trade or outside acquisition.  

Many fans argue that Rodgers' age is showing itself in a bad way. You can't place all the blame on the 42-year-old, but his physical limitations hurt the offense and its ability to be dynamic. His wide receivers are getting smothered in man coverage, and the offensive line has been very disappointing. All of that is a bad combination for a team with high aspirations.

The NFL season is long, and anything can happen, but McCarthy's first season isn't going as anyone hoped, and it's following a consistent trend from his first two stops. He may be able to turn things around, but the team is likely staring down a 9-8 season and a first-round playoff exit. 

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