Steelers coach Mike McCarthy “plans to pare down the game plan with the goal of executing the staple plays more consistently.”

21 September 2026

The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo penned a rather pessimistic assessment of the Steelers’ current state on Sunday night. We can’t necessarily blame him. The results have been disappointing. Perhaps thinning out the playbook will pay off. McCarthy believes QB Aaron Rodgers “could play with any volume of game plan, but at the end of the day, it’s a team game.” DeFabo notes that the Steelers moved WR DK Metcalf into the slot at times, attempting to avoid Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez’s coverage, but Gonzalez surprisingly trailed him, and Metcalf turned in an inefficient outing. If the Steelers (1-1) are going to meet their summer expectations, players will have to rise to the occasion despite difficult matchups. They face the 2-0 Bengals in Week 3, which makes for a stiff test.