Steelers' Mike McCarthy Admits Team Was Extremely Fatigued Prior To Crucial Contest

The Pittsburgh Steelers just came off of a much-needed bye week with their sights set on winning the AFC North for the second consecutive season. They are currently 6-2 with the lead in the division, but a loss in Week 10 to the Cincinnati Bengals can change everything. A win, meanwhile, would mean that Pittsburgh would most likely host a playoff game barring a late-season collapse. It's much easier to win that game when you're rested and have an extra week to prepare for a massive contest like this. 

The team has also been dealing with all kinds of injuries all over the place. Most of those players are not expected to return yet, with Ben Skowronek being the main player that should be ready to go in Week 10, but it's still nice to have an extra week to rest and recover without worrying about letting the team down by being unavailable. Either way, Pittsburgh is now in a really good spot to compete down the stretch. 

In fact, this bye week could not have come at a better time. In his typical McCarthy Monday press conference, Head Coach Mike McCarthy revealed how much everyone was struggling earlier.

"You could see it; they were worn down," McCarthy said. "Going into [Week 7 in France], we tried to be smart about some things before we traveled, but you could see it Wednesday, Thursday, and probably even Friday. So, we backed some things off, and with the energy we had Sunday [against the Browns], I feel like we definitely hit the target, but they were worn down. You could feel it in certain spots of the preparation, but I thought they did a hell of a job getting themselves ready to play against Cleveland."

There has been a lot of criticism about the way that the Steelers handle the overseas games, as they've opted to leave on the Thursday before the contest, as opposed to the Sunday or Monday earlier in the week like most other teams do. It worked out well for Pittsburgh in this case, as it left Paris with a 16-10 victory and came back home to stomp the Cleveland Browns and take back the division.

If what McCarthy said was true, however, then that may not be a sustainable plan. You don't want your team to be running on fumes with a key game ahead. The head coach admitted to having to "back off" of the team somewhat so everyone could get a little more rest in and have enough energy to play against the Browns. The important thing is that the Steelers won both games and got the chance to regroup with a much-needed bye week. 

International travel takes a lot out of anybody, let alone athletes who are burning thousands of calories every single day. What McCarthy should be praised for is his ability to take this bad situation that the team put him in and adjust properly to allow the team to have any chance to win. He even gave everyone the whole bye week off to make sure everyone got the rest they needed, as opposed to just Thursday and Friday.

Steelers Are Once Again Being Put In Position To Take Advantage Of Fatigue

Not only are the Bengals coming off of a game in Europe, but they had their bye week back in Week 6. Their travel plans were better than Pittsburgh's, as they left on Tuesday instead of Thursday to be prepared for the game, but they may be dealing with some fatigue as well. In a neutral setting, it would be hard to tell which team would win, but the Steelers are well-rested while the Bengals may be tired from going overseas.

What do you think about McCarthy admitting that the Steelers were fatigued after the international game prior to playing the Browns? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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