Mike McCarthy earned his first win as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach in Week 1, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers made sure the moment was marked. The Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons in an ugly offensive showing that still produced the result that matters most. As confirmed by Mike McCarthy in his postgame presser:

Aaron Rodgers gave Mike McCarthy a game ball after the win.

The gesture carries real weight when you consider what this job means to McCarthy. He has talked ad nauseam throughout the offseason about being back in Pittsburgh, his hometown, coaching the team he grew up rooting for and running training camp in Latrobe, a place where he watched the Steelers practice as a kid. To come out in Week 1 and grab a victory, regardless of the opponent, had to feel special.

The win matters, but the tape tells a different story

The bottom line is that the Steelers beat a bad Atlanta Falcons defense and still couldn’t generate much on offense. There was no real push along the offensive line. The run game was virtually nonexistent. DK Metcalf didn’t play well. The right side of the line struggled. Pittsburgh leaned heavily on the passing game, and while Rodgers looked sharp, you have to wonder what that offense would have looked like against a much better defense.

So the immediate question becomes: is McCarthy going to bring the Steelers offense up to another level? Because what Pittsburgh showed in Week 1 simply wasn’t good enough.

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Rust is a real factor

I’m going to put a lot of the blame on the fact that the Steelers are probably just rusty. That first-team offense didn’t play a lot together during the preseason. Metcalf was injured for a significant stretch of camp. Michael Pittman missed time as well. Rodgers didn’t take a single snap in the preseason. That lack of cohesion showed up on the field, and it would be unfair to draw sweeping conclusions from one game under those circumstances.

That being said, the struggles were real, and they touched nearly every area of the offensive operation. You can’t rely on Rodgers’ arm to paper over protection issues and a stagnant ground attack week after week.

A cool gesture, but results have to follow

I’m all for what Rodgers did. It was a classy move that reinforced the kind of locker room dynamic Pittsburgh wants to build under McCarthy. In my opinion, it shows that Rodgers understands the significance of the moment for his head coach and wanted to honor it.

But the truth is, gestures only carry you so far. The Steelers need the offense to catch up to the defense if they’re going to win anything of significance in 2026. The talent is there with Rodgers, Metcalf, and Pittman. Whether the cohesion and execution follow as the season moves along is the real question. Week 1 was a pass. Week 2 and beyond won’t be as forgiving.