Mark Madden: Mike McCarthy won the press conference, but it’s still a bad hire
Steelers owner Art Rooney II said it wasn’t important for new coach Mike McCarthy to win the initial press conference. But McCarthy did exactly that. Rooney said McCarthy wasn’t hired because, having coached Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, he’s the best bet to lure Rodgers back to Pittsburgh for a...
Mark Madden: If Jason Robertson is available, the Penguins have to act
It could be media-driven fantasy, but the Pittsburgh Penguins might have a legitimate chance to get star winger Jason Robertson from Dallas, either via trade before the season’s March 6 deadline or by signing him to an offer sheet when Robertson becomes a restricted free agent in the offseason. The...
Mark Madden: By hiring Mike McCarthy, the Steelers have lowered organizational goals
Boy, is Art Rooney II desperate to win a playoff game. He should be. By the standard of the family business, Rooney’s tenure as its steward has been disappointing in every way beyond profit. (The Steelers are too big to really fail. Lucky for Rooney.) Now, in an effort to...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Same as it ever was for Pirates, Steelers
It’s the time of the season for horse manure, to paraphrase The Zombies. Pirates players who braved the threat of severe winter weather to get to Saturday’s PiratesFest talked about having a different attitude. (Ex-Buc Dale Berra canceled his return when he found out it wasn’t that kind of blizzard.)...
Mark Madden: Many reasons why the Penguins are better than expected
The numbers don’t lie: • The Penguins are 10-2-2 since the NHL’s holiday break. • The Penguins have scored the first goal in each of those 10 wins. (They don’t come out flat like the Steelers.) • The Penguins are 25-14-11. Second in the Metropolitan Division. Second-fewest regulation losses in...
Mark Madden: The Pirates could bring back Andrew McCutchen, but it’s OK to turn the page
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded for power-hitting second baseman Brandon Lowe and signed OK-hitting first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. But now have done nothing for a couple of weeks. They must figure that first place in the NL Central is wrapped up. It’s not. I’m assuming the Pirates just missed on Kyle...
Mark Madden: Steelers could reunite Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy — and waste another season
The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly open to Aaron Rodgers returning, even with Mike Tomlin quitting. Rodgers likely wouldn’t want to. He came to Pittsburgh specifically to play for Tomlin. But what if Mike McCarthy succeeded Tomlin? The Greenfield native coached Rodgers to a Super Bowl win (against the Steelers) in...
Mark Madden’s hot take: Steelers also need a roster reset
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new head coach. The Steelers are replacing their entire coaching staff. They will probably hire somebody else’s defensive coordinator to be their head coach, thus maintaining their misguided organizational commitment to prioritizing defense in an era of score more, faster. But this is as...
Mark Madden: Getting the right quarterback will be paramount for Steelers’ next coach
As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin the process of hiring a new coach, the profile of most candidates seems similar: another team’s defensive coordinator, in his late 30s to mid-40s, no prior NFL head coaching experience. There are exceptions, but here’s betting the job goes to a younger version of Mike...
Mark Madden: Assessing the Mike Tomlin era, where Steelers go from here
At 2 p.m. Tuesday on my radio program, I said, “If Mike Tomlin had an ounce of pride, he’d quit.” Tomlin’s resignation broke a little over five minutes later. So it was said, so it did come to pass. Now for the denouement: Refreshing Tomlin notes! A new day will...
Mark Madden: Penguins are headed for the worst possible destination
The Penguins stopped scoring. Lost 2-1 to visiting Calgary on Saturday, 1-0 at Boston on Sunday. Thus ends a six-game win streak. They got beat by two backup goaltenders. The two defeats leave the Penguins one point out of a wild card in the Eastern Conference. What should be their...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers’ QB upgrade to Aaron Rodgers has been minimal … so far
It’s been a relatively quiet season with Aaron Rodgers. He’s kept snark to a minimum, preferring the marginally different path of passive-aggressive. He’s been, by all accounts, a great leader that’s 100% respected by the locker room. Rodgers ceremoniously walks off the field after games with Mike Tomlin and Cam...
Mark Madden: If the Steelers can survive the 1st quarter, expect another winnable rock fightVideo
Mike Tomlin’s teams are always prepared. Except when they’re not. Like they weren’t in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ last five playoff games, all losses. Last season, the Steelers were down by 21 to Baltimore at halftime. The season before, they trailed Buffalo by 21 midway through the second quarter. In the...
Mark Madden: Myles Garrett holds the NFL sacks record, no matter how Steelers fans spin it
Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record last Sunday when Cleveland beat Cincinnati. Garrett’s feat triggered a few sidebars. • Did anybody in seasons past perform in more record-worthy fashion despite having fewer sacks than Garrett? • Did Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow lay down on Garrett’s milestone sack, effectively giving...
Mark Madden: Aaron Rodgers plays the hero, Steelers win the optics in pseudo playoff victory
The No. 1 story from Sunday night’s playoff to make the playoffs was undoubtedly Aaron Rodgers’ impeccable play late in the game. Rodgers drove the Steelers to touchdowns on their last two possessions, including a six-play, 65-yard march in 85 seconds during what could have been the final moments of...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers’ season finale is pass/fail for the Aaron Rodgers experiment
Sunday night’s game is a final exam for the Aaron Rodgers experiment in Pittsburgh. It’s pass/fail. No shades of gray. Rodgers was signed in the unspoken spirit of “all in,” to win now for the Steelers’ 30-something crew of Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, etc. The Steelers had the AFC North...
