Steelers Now
Mike Tomlin’s voice doesn’t echo around the Pittsburgh Steelers’ facility anymore. New head coach Mike McCarthy, a fellow Super Bowl winner, won’t repeat his predecessor’s “Tomlin-isms,” but there is an expectation to meet.
CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt brought up some pressing questions as the Steelers get set for training camp at St. Vincent College later this month.
“My biggest question is, ‘Is the standard still the standard?'” Hunt said Tuesday on “CBS Sports HQ.” “We heard that a lot with Mike Tomlin, and even though they got to the postseason last year — winning the division — they were 26th in total defense, 25th in total offense. And so now you bring in two new coordinators, and you look at Patrick Graham — the defensive coordinator — can he elevate the defense and get this defense to play top-10-level defense in the AFC?
“And also, when you think about offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio, the last time he called plays was 21 years ago when he was at Ithaca. … Division III football. That’s 21 years ago.”
Hunt shouldn’t be too worried about Angelichio’s play calling ability. McCarthy made it clear during his introductory Steelers press conference that he’ll call plays and run the offense.
In 2021, McCarthy’s Dallas offense was the best in the NFL in yards gained and scoring. During his 18 seasons across tenures with the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, McCarthy’s offenses have ranked in the top-10 in yards gained 13 times and scoring on 14 occasions. His teams paced the league in scoring in 2011, 2014, 2021 and 2023.
Graham, meanwhile, directs a unit with no lack of veteran leadership, including Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Analyst Raises Questions About New-Look Steelers Coaching Staff
