Steeler Fan Survey

A few of about a dozen questions by The Athletic:

Steelers fan survey results, Part I: The Mike McCarthy hire, Aaron Rodgers’ return - The Athletic

 

1. agree
2. mike mccarthy
3. coaching
4. will howard
5. age

 

#3

Ben and coaching equally responsible

Yet both will probably get into the HOF

 

Same with Don Shula/Jimmy Johnson with Dan Marino. Shula and Johnson won SBs but not with Marino.

 

All that hype about Shula and Scheelhaase neither one of them got a HC job .

 

My thoughts at first did not include McCarthy, he was a bit of a surprise.
But I warmed up to it.

Pros

• Proven QB development: Known as an offensive-minded coach and quarterback developer (notably with Aaron Rodgers).
• Offense can improve quickly: If the Steelers get the right scheme/personnel fit, he’s more likely to prioritize play-calling and offensive rhythm than a purely defensive retread.
• Regular-season track record: He’s had sustained success in the regular season across head-coaching stops.

Cons

• Adaptability/in-game questions: Common critique is that his offenses and decisions can get less creative or less effective late—especially in high-leverage moments.
• Playoff “ceiling” skepticism: Critics point to a pattern of not fully converting regular-season success into deep playoff runs.
• Fit with modern NFL trends: Some fans/readers argue the league has evolved faster than his approach, making the hire feel like a “win-now now” bet rather than a long-term modern rebuild.

The best positives of McCarthy’s assembled staff are that it’s a true overhaul with role-specific coaching coverage (offense, defense, special teams, and a fairly deep strength/performance group), and it leans heavily on experienced NFL positional coaches paired with defensive/secondary coaching credibility—so the Steelers aren’t just changing the head coach; they’re bringing in people who have run those same functions at a high level.

 

And yet 60% of the people on this board still thought one of them should be the Steelers HC

Mostly because someone else with clickbait told them so

 

Almost the same responses here.

3) I think you're being charitable to the end of Ben's career on (3), but he earned the respect. I didn't think we were contenders since at least his injury. Just like I don't think we're contenders in the twilight of AR's career.

5) I'd pick "Other" here, but I'd pick playoff record of the options. Because I think it's similar to my worry, which is that my understanding is that he hasn't been good against good teams in general (not just in the playoffs). MM has done very well in his career against teams that finish with 10 wins or fewer in the season. I think significantly better than Tomlin in this regard. But my understanding is that his record against teams that finish with more than 10 wins isn't good...again the opposite of Tomlin. So generally, he does very well against teams that are worse than his. But poorly against better teams. I think this isn't a good sign for us winning the AFCN. Since BAL and CIN should both be good to very good teams if they can keep their QBs healthy. I think for the Steelers (3rd best roster talent in the division IMO) to make the playoffs, we have to be able to win ugly games against better teams than us. This was Tomlin's specialty (even though it was the opposite of entertaining). And from the numbers it seems to be something MM is bad at.

 

On #5; it's the defense that is worrisome. Whereas Tomlin had a weakness for finding OCs, McCarthy is equally concerning for DCs.

 

#6 Subpar Running backs

Haven't had a super bowl chance since L Bell went to DQ
haven't had a decent running back since
Every Ring, we had a running back to help carry the load