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Mike McCarthy just wrapped up his first game as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and, yes, he stepped away with a win. The team beat the Atlanta Falcons in a 20-13 showdown to kick off the NFL season.
While a win is always a good thing, some wins come with a caveat. This one did, in that the Steelers' offense looked fairly shaky against the Falcons.
Pittsburgh was supposed to trounce Atlanta, but that didn't happen. The Falcons hung in there, and the first half of the game really felt slow and a bit out of sorts. Now, McCarthy is getting called out for what went wrong in the first game, though, again, a win is still something to celebrate.
Steelers drop two spots in NFL power rankings
The NFL's Week 1 is in the books, and Nick Shook of the NFL has released his official ranking for NFL power rankings heading into next week's games. As for the Steelers, he has them down two spots, despite the win, to No. 23. He also calls out McCarthy while praising quarterback Aaron Rodgers. So, it's a mix, and frankly, Rodgers still being in top form goes a long way.
"Mike McCarthy's debut as Steelers coach didn't come with the explosive offense that was his trademark at prior NFL stops," he says in the piece. "Aaron Rodgers played with more freedom and aggression than he did last season, but the unit struggled to produce points against the Falcons."
He adds, "None of that matters all that much, though, when T.J. Watt is intercepting passes and turning them into defensive touchdowns."
This is true. Thank God for Watt. Regardless, McCarthy is still a little rusty from not being in the NFL for a year, so perhaps the Steelers will be in better form for Week 2 against the New England Patriots.
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