Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first preseason game looked like exactly that — their first preseason game. Pittsburgh came out with a 28-9 win, which felt as close as the final score during the second half.
However, it wasn’t without rough moments. While there were plenty of positives to take away from the victory, Mike McCarthy did see his team get a little undisciplined at times.
Speaking on the broadcast during the game, Art Rooney II wasn’t happy with the number of flags he saw. Mike McCarthy understands that frustration, but he’s not mad at his players for pushing things to the limit.
“We’ll look at every penalty. We’ll look at every call. You know, when you ask your team to be, play with a high level of energy and playstyle, the discipline of that counts. This was our first chance to play in a full-speed environment. So I’d rather be too much than not enough. And we were definitely too much, time and time again, particularly at the end of the play,” Mike McCarthy said after the game via Steelers.com.’
Pittsburgh was on the receiving end of a good number of penalties. In total, the Steelers were penalized 11 times for 134 yards. Granted, the Packers were flagged for nine themselves, so it wasn’t a huge difference. And the first preseason game is always a bit sloppy since players haven’t stepped on an NFL field all year long.
But some of Pittsburgh’s penalties were frustrating. Cole Holcomb hit Tyrod Taylor late on a slide, giving Green Bay a first down. On the same drive, Doneiko Slaughter was called for unnecessary roughness, giving the Packers free yards again. On special teams specifically, the Steelers were flagged a few times early in the game.
However, McCarthy’s team certainly was playing with intensity. The defense was fired up, swarming to the ball throughout the game and keeping the Packers out of the end zone all night along. Offensively, things started slow, but Will Howard and Drew Allar kept the unit rolling during their appearances. Most of the rookie class also looked good, with McCarthy able to get them ready for preseason action.
Once the regular season starts, some of these issues should clean themselves up. For now, Mike McCarthy chalks it up as the result of a high-intensity preseason game. But he knows his team will need better discipline going forward.