Mike McCarthy

2026 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…Week 5

I got to enjoy last weekend’s slate of games uninterrupted by any trips to the emergency room, so it was certainly an improvement. I only wish that our Steelers would’ve allowed that bliss to be complete. Sadly, they are the mess that so many thought they’d be. I still don’t feel like Mike Tomlin’s departure was a bad thing, but hiring Mike McCarthy and bringing back a clearly washed Aaron Rodgers were shortsighted decisions. I am trying to brace myself for a terrible season (maybe two) that’ll ultimately lead to a big turnaround, but it’s difficult to remain confident in any kind of long term strategy. It doesn’t help that our picks so far have been abysmal. I’ve always joked that we’re not very good at this and been up front about the fact that I don’t do a ton of research or deep dive into the minutia of these matchups, but I’ve always considered myself a fairly knowledgable football fan with common sense & solid instincts. That hasn’t been the case this year.

My Season: 9-18

Zach’s Season: 11-16

Oklahoma at Georgia (-14)

As a child of the 70s/80s it is wild to see the Sooners be double digit underdogs to anyone, especially when one considers a) they were a ten win team a season ago, and b) they’re 2-1 right now, and in that one loss the score was tied late into the 4th quarter. However, maybe it’s more about the unbeaten Bulldogs, who come into this weekend ranked #2 in the country after obliterating their first three opponents. Oklahoma QB John Mateer began the year as a fringe Heisman candidate & potential first round NFL draft pick. This is an opportunity to validate those expectations. I don’t expect an upset, but I do believe it’ll be a close contest. Conversely, Zach doesn’t believe Mateer or the offense he leads is very good at all.

My Pick: Oklahoma

Zach’s Pick: Georgia

Oregon (-3) at Southern California

I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but it’ll always be weird that these teams are in the Big Ten. Anyway, the Ducks were so frustrated about being upset by Oklahoma St. a couple weeks ago that they hung 84 freakin’ points on an FBS opponent last weekend. Meanwhile, the Trojans are 4-0 and averaging 43 points/game. I’d love to go with the visiting favorites because they’re a fun team to watch and I’d feel bad for QB Dante Moore if Oregon lost two games this early and found themselves on the edge of playoff elimination already. Moore could’ve been a Top 5 pick in the NFL Draft and been making bank on Sundays, but he delayed that dream to chase a national championship. That being said, The Vibes are SCREAMING that this has upset written all over it. Zach sees USC’s potential, but feels like they are a year away from being top tier. He’s picking Oregon in a tight contest.

My Pick: USC

Zach’s Pick: Oregon

Minnesota (-2.5) vs. Tampa Bay

I really had these teams pegged wrong. I thought the Vikings would be cellar dwellers and the Bucs division winners. Things could still shake out that way, but right now Minnesota is undefeated while Tampa is 0-2. It’s worth mentioning that both of TB’s losses could’ve easily been wins, but close only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades. Call me stubborn, but I’m not buying what we’ve seen out of either team. Tampa is better, and they have the home field. Zach sees things differently. He has faith in the Vikes defense and thinks Tampa has looked terrible thus far.

My Pick: Tampa Bay

Zach’s Pick: Minnesota

LA Rams (-2.5) at Denver

Could it be a Super Bowl preview?? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps my praise is too effusive for a couple of 1-1 teams, or it’s possible that they’ve worked out the kinks and will be dominant as expected going forward. This is the Sunday night game on NBC, and I think it’ll come down to defense. There will be a goal line stand or Pick Six late in the 4th quarter that’ll decide the outcome. It’s a coin toss for me, and in those scenarios I lean toward the home team. Zach concurs.

My Pick: Denver

Zach’s Pick: Denver

Philadelphia (-4.5) at Chicago

When Bears QB Caleb Williams got hurt last weekend viewers might’ve mistaken him for one of Chicago’s dozens of daily victims of violent crime. As it turns out, he’s just a melodramatic cuck with a pulled hamstring who may or may not play in this game. The 2-0 Eagles haven’t been cruising to victory, but somehow they’ve found ways to win. If Williams plays he won’t be 100%, and if he doesn’t play Philly’s defense will eat the backup quarterback alive. Zach believes the Eagles have been underutilizing RB Saquon Barkley. He has less than a hundred yards rushing cumulative thus far, and that has to change. Whether it does or doesn’t won’t matter right now, as we both think the visiting favorites will win decisively on Monday night.

My Pick: Philadelphia

Zach’s Pick: Philadelphia

WINNING & MUSING…VOLUME 1.26

It’s time to bid farewell to football and move on to other things, but not before one final update on everything that’s happened the past several weeks.

Congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers for winning the CFP Championship, going undefeated in the process. I can’t explain the magic. They should’ve been underdogs to everyone they faced in the playoff, yet the Hoosiers, who had never achieved anything of consequence in the 139 year history of the football program, stared down Alabama, Oregon, and the Miami Hurricanes and came out on top every time. Before that they upset Ohio St. in the Big Ten title game. I don’t know what the future holds, but if Indiana is able to repeat their success next season, experts need to grill head coach Curt Cignetti Jr. and find out his secrets.

Since we last met in this space my Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, or he parted ways with them if you believe the official story. Either way, I have a few thoughts:

  • I don’t hate Mike Tomlin, but his shtick had become tedious. Have you ever enthusiastically welcomed company into your home and initially enjoyed the visit, but then a few hours later you’re looking at your watch & yawning, desperately hoping they’ll take the hint that they’ve overstayed their welcome?? I am sure that Tomlin will land on his feet, but the fact is that the time for change had come.
  • Mike McCarthy becomes only the 4th Steelers head coach since 1969, while the Cleveland Browns have had a dozen coaches since the turn of the century. These two franchises are not the same. I have always appreciated that the Steelers value loyalty & stability and don’t hire & fire coaches willy nilly, but I do not believe that losing a coach who had won only ONE Super Bowl in two decades, hadn’t won a playoff game in almost ten years, and hung his hat on an admittedly impressive yet not as impressive as some might think streak of “winning” seasons is some sort of tragedy. Did Tomlin “do more with less”?? Perhaps. But he also underachieved. Both things can be true.
  • Let’s be honest…the issues in Pittsburgh are systemic, and run much deeper than Mike Tomlin. They fumbled the quarterback succession plan after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger…badly. Actually, that ineptitude began while Big Ben was still playing, as he was clearly washed in his last couple of seasons. Drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round in 2022 was a monumental error in judgement, Russell Wilson was a misstep, and anyone who believes Justin Fields will ever be a great NFL QB is a fool. Aaron Rodgers, while being the best among limited options, is past his prime. Tomlin’s coaching staff was laughably bad (the man has NO coaching tree, which is odd). The powers-that-be tried to mask deficiencies with over-the-hill free agents. The George Pickens trade to Dallas made the Steelers organization look incompetent in real time. While they have spent alot of draft capital to build an offensive line, that group was TRUCKED in the playoff loss to Houston. They had the highest paid defense in the NFL while ranking 26th in the league in total defense, which is a problem. Obviously Tomlin can’t be blamed for ALL of these things, but let’s not pretend that he didn’t wield significant power in building that roster and making those poor decisions. 
  • So what about Mike McCarthy?? I don’t know. It’s an uninspiring, safe hire. He’s clearly a transitional coach. Chances are his team will be competitive yet still not a legit championship contender. Sounds familiar. I’m not particularly impressed with the coaching staff he has assembled, but I’d be happy to be wrong.

Apparently there is an Olympics happening right now 🤷🏻. I had no idea. It is funny that all of those indoctrinated, woke athletes have to perform on literal ice…but not amusing enough for me to watch. However, because news from the event is inescapable, I will offer an opinion. I am pretty sure that most companies have a policy against employees disparaging their employer in public. You can’t go on Facebook or Twitter and talk trash about your boss or workplace and expect to keep your job. Yet multiple American athletes, in the midst of the Olympic games, have apparently spoken negatively about the country they allegedly represent. I find that reprehensible.

Kudos to the Super Bowl LX Champion Seattle Seahawks. Despite the final score, the game was largely a defensive battle dominated by Seattle, which I believe is what most “experts” predicted. It’s nice to see a guy like Sam Darnold, who came into the NFL with so much hype before embarking on a journeyman’s trek during which most lost faith that he’d ever fulfill his potential, grab the brass ring. It is also revealing to watch a franchise tear it down, go all in with a young, first time head coach & a QB that people had given up on, and rebuild a team that had a couple of “winning” 9-8 seasons that were deemed not good enough. As far as the extracurriculars, I’m at the age when I skip most of the stupidity. I have no idea who the dude was that sang the national anthem, and didn’t bother to tune in for anything preceding that. I watched TP-USA’s halftime show, which was a bit too country for my taste. I am perfectly aware that Bad Bunny, who hails from Puerto Rico, is an American citizen. I am sure the vast majority of people who opted out of that show possessed the same knowledge, so for those who thought that was the issue, well, you were wrong just as you are the vast majority of the time. I always mute my television during commercials and see no reason to alter that habit for the Super Bowl, so I cannot participate in discussions involving all of that. I was focused on the football game, which proved that defense still wins championships.

I’ve been fascinated by the sports media’s collective conniption fit surrounding the exclusion of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft & former head coach Bill Belichick from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. First of all, I understand the significance of being a “first ballot Hall of Famer”, but let’s be honest…both men will likely be voted in as soon as next year, which makes the meltdown from the talking heads feel rather hollow. Secondly, Kraft found himself in legal trouble just six years ago for trying to find a happy ending at a massage parlor, so he isn’t exactly a paragon of virtue. As for Belichick, I think we got our definitive answer a long time ago as to who deserves more credit for the Patriots’ “dynasty”. Tom Brady left New England, landed in Tampa Bay, and immediately led his new team to a Super Bowl victory. Conversely, Belichick was 29-38 in his last four seasons without Brady. His overall NFL head coaching record without Brady is 83-104. And let’s not forget the cheating. Not even the NFL could cover all of it up, despite their best efforts to do so. Don’t worry folks…both men will land in Canton someday. Denying them on the first ballot seems like a mere slap on the wrist for the atrocities they committed in the past.

In case you are curious, Zach & I limped to the finish line of our picks, both closing out the season with a 2-5 mark in the final weekend. So I finished with a record of 53-70, while Zach secured the season victory by going 56-67. Hey, atleast we have fun, right?? 🫤

So let’s talk about who did get into the Hall of Fame. 

  • Drew Brees (Saints QB)
  • Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals WR)
  • Luke Kuechly (Panthers LB)
  • Adam Vinatieri (Patriots/Colts Kicker)
  • Roger Craig (49ers RB)

I have zero issues with that class. Craig probably should’ve been in the HoF two decades ago, but what’s done is done. I’m somewhat surprised & disappointed that Hines Ward, Jason Witten, and LC Greenwood didn’t make the cut, and a bit amused that Eli Manning didn’t get voted in, although I believe his surname is his best asset and will get him in eventually.