Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth offered insight into head coach Mike McCarthy’s influence on the team's offense. He pointed to heightened accountability and a highly structured environment as key drivers behind their scoring improvement.
Speaking during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Freiermuth explained that McCarthy brought a fundamental shift in mindset to Pittsburgh. Rather than leaning heavily on the defense to secure close wins, the offense has been challenged to proactively control games. Freiermuth highlighted this strategic evolution when asked about the team's offensive output.
“I think Coach McCarthy has done a great job of kind of challenging the offense to go out and win games on offense instead of kind of relying
on the defense to win those games for us. We’re playing good complementary team football and we’ve gotta keep that going,” explained Freiermuth.
"Coach McCarthy has done a great job of challenging the offense to go out & win football games..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 13, 2026
We're playing good complimentary team football & we've gotta keep that going..
Coach McCarthy is extremely detailed & the guys have been very responsive" ~ @pat_fry5 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/D7Ir78HUYw
When host Pat McAfee pressed the veteran tight end on what it has been like working under McCarthy and whether anything caught him off guard, Freiermuth praised the head coach's meticulous preparation, while sharing a lighthearted observation about McCarthy's native roots.
"I thought he was going to be extremely detailed, and he definitely is that. Our schedules are very detailed, very oriented. We’re in there throughout the day and really going to meetings throughout the day; it’s very structured, which is good. I think the guys have been pretty responsive towards it. He’s definitely everything I expected.
“I didn’t expect his Pittsburgh accent to be as thick as it is, but it’s pretty thick in the offensive meetings, and the team installs,” said Freiermuth with a laugh.
McCarthy, a Greenfield native, brings a distinct local accent along with a structured coaching philosophy. As the Steelers aim to build consistency on offense, Freiermuth believes this disciplined approach and focus on complementary football will keep the team moving in the right direction.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Pat Freiermuth talks Mike McCarthy's impact on Steelers' offense
