Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to get back above .500 as they move on from Week 4. While the team will eventually have to turn the page on its loss to the Cleveland Browns, McCarthy made it clear Monday that there are still plenty of lessons to take from the defeat.
This isn’t necessarily a case of the Steelers lingering on a loss. Rather, it was a game filled with lessons that require even more self-coaching. Simple mistakes, miscommunications and missed opportunities all contributed to the loss. The Steelers will need to correct those issues quickly with the Indianapolis Colts coming to town for a Week 5 battle.
Here are the biggest takeaways from McCarthy’s Monday press conference:
Self-Coaching
Very seldom do head coaches look at their team and say they need to take a deep look at themselves. Alex Highsmith made a similar call to his teammates, and McCarthy is making sure that message is heard.
McCarthy made it clear that the Steelers need to self-coach this week and offered an interesting analogy for the approach.
“We need to clean our own house,” McCarthy said.
Indeed, the Steelers’ worst enemy has been themselves at times. This week provides an opportunity for everyone to correct those mistakes and help change the direction of the season.
Rookie Defensive Backs
With the trade of Joey Porter Jr., the Steelers need other defensive backs to step up. Rookie cornerback Daylen Everette already needed to take on a larger role, and McCarthy praised the young corner while making it clear that he will need to continue contributing.
“He’s been pushing for playing time, you can see that. I thought he did some really good things, back in the preseason, particularly out in Latrobe at the nickel. So we feel like he’s ready to go. I know there’s conversation about the big play; that was not his play. But as a whole, we need to do a better job defensively in big-play production; we’re giving up too many big plays,” McCarthy said of Everette.
Everette wasn’t the only rookie defensive back McCarthy praised. He also highlighted Robert Spears-Jennings after the rookie safety’s impressive performance Thursday night. Needless to say, McCarthy expects to see more of him moving forward.
“He’s ready … He’s another young man who is champing at the bit, and I see him getting some more opportunities going forward.” McCarthy said of Spears-Jennings.
Third Down
Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Third down remains one of the most important areas for the Steelers to improve as they move into Week 5. The situation often determines whether an offense can extend a drive or whether a defense can get off the field, making it a major factor in controlling time of possession and creating scoring opportunities.
McCarthy emphasized the importance of winning those situations during his Monday press conference. For the Steelers, improving on third down isn’t simply about one play or one player. It requires better execution across the offense and defense, from staying ahead of the chains offensively to creating manageable third-down situations defensively. With the Colts coming to Pittsburgh, the Steelers will need to be much sharper in those critical moments.
