Fifty-five is Mike McCarthy’s favorite number, a secret revealed this week by his running backs coach.
It’s the combined number of touches per game — completions and carries — that McCarthy wants to see out of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense for which he will be calling plays.
“Coach is a numbers guy,” said assistant Roman Chinyoung, who previously worked under McCarthy in Dallas. “He’s dialed in. He’s in tune to statistics and numbers and making sure he’s spreading the ball around and getting all players engaged.”
McCarthy said his target number used to be a little lower but had to be adjusted for the pace of current NFL offenses.
“It used to be 53,” McCarthy said Thursday as the Steelers continued their second week of practice-like organized team activities. “I just think offenses have prevailed and with the rule changes over time.”
His Cowboys offenses averaged 52.6, 53.9, 52.1, 52.7 and 48.6 touches per game from 2020-24. By comparison, the Steelers offense last year averaged 45.4 touches, or 21.5 completions and 23.9 carries.
But McCarthy cautioned that 55 is not a magic number.
“There are no absolutes,” he said. “I think there’s more to the 55. I’ve always believed in a complementary football formula. Great defense, obviously, getting those touches to your perimeter players, the big one is, obviously, winning the turnover ratio and time of possession.”
McCarthy isn’t new to analytics.
He said he has incorporated stats into his coaching ever since landing his first NFL job more than three decades ago. He got his start working in game analysis for the Chiefs in 1993.
“It was a big part of my job as a young coach,” McCarthy said. “I’ve always stayed in touch with the numbers. They call it analytics now. I think it’s important to use those guidelines to project goals, but it also helps keep you on a path or mindset of how you want to call a game.”
The Steelers reached 55 touches in a game only four times last year: in late-season victories over Miami, Detroit and Baltimore and a Week 12 loss at Chicago. Conversely, the Steelers managed only 32 touches in a loss to the Chargers and a season-low 28 when they fell to Buffalo.
McCarthy said the winning percentage is high for teams that reach 55 touches but insisted it wasn’t that simple.
“Like I said, there’s more to it,” he said. “You could have 32 rushes and 25 completions but then turn the ball over. It’s part of that formula.”
Midway of OTAs
The Steelers reached the midway point of OTAs. Thursday’s session was the fifth of the team’s 10 days, which had McCarthy reflecting on his experiences with the voluntary workouts.
“This is where the rookies kind of hit the wall a little bit, but you didn’t see that today,” McCarthy said. “I’m really impressed with the way they’ve come in and picked it up, the line and trying to learn from the veteran players.”
The Steelers resume workouts on Friday and have remaining OTA dates June 8, 9, 11 and 12. The upcoming schedule includes a mandatory minicamp June 2-4.
‘A great offseason’
Roman Wilson was inactive for five of the final six games last season, but the receiver has had a productive offseason, his coach said.
McCarthy, asked about the third-year pro, complimented Wilson’s work this spring. The 6-foot, 192-pound receiver had 12 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns last season.
“Just keep doing exactly what he’s been doing,” McCarthy said. “He’s been here from Day 1. He was one of the first men to reach out and clearly ask what the expectation was of him, how I view him, how I saw him fitting in as the roles X, F, and Z. He’s doing the work. He’s had a great offseason.”