Here's an excerpt from my latest TribLive.com column:
Mike McCarthy scripts the Steelers’ first 15 first- and second-down plays.
At New England, those 15 plays gained 53 yards.
Against Cincinnati, those 15 plays gained 133 yards and scored a touchdown.
That’s how you fix something.
That’s McCarthy. A real coach. Not a TV analyst in masquerade.
Mike Tomlin forces a rock fight and loses that game.
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The fingerprints of the McCarthy effect could be seen all over the Steelers' 30-27 home win against Cincinnati this past Sunday.
He fixed things.
He made bold decisions.
Tomlin never would have used two new starting offensive linemen in Week 3. That would have required injury. Veteran respect and all that. Look how long an absolute scrub like Dan Moore Jr. survived as Tomlin's left tackle.
Tomlin never would have subbed in a rookie for a veteran mid-game. But Asante Samuel Jr. struggled at cornerback, so Daylen Everette deputized and did a bit better.
McCarthy is a real coach.
McCarthy solves problems.
The upgrade is massive.
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