The Steelers’ last few weeks have come with a mixed bag of results and emotions, but the fans have been consistently clear on one point; Matt Canada needs to go. Coming into the week six bye, the Steelers’ offense did not show a hint of improvement from the team’s sluggish beginning. While injuries to offensive players have been detrimental and quarterback Kenny Pickett has been disappointing, coach Canada’s failures cannot be ignored. I am not sure how many more runs up the middle by Najee Harris for a loss of three yards I can take. As long as Matt Canada is their offensive coordinator, the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be a serious football team.
The week three game against the Las Vegas Raiders was by far the best offensive performance of the season, as Pittsburgh managed to look adequate on most of their drives. Two offensive touchdowns may not mean much for most teams, but for the Steelers, that is essentially scoring 70 points in one game. Any glimmer of hope fans had was quickly put out after the disaster that occurred in Houston. After putting up only six points in the first three quarters, Pickett was taken out due to a knee injury and the team completely collapsed, losing 30-6. Thankfully, Pickett was able to return for the next week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, but his return did not translate to more success offensively. The offense only scored three points until the fourth quarter and was once again bailed out by one of the best (if not the best) pass-rushing duo in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
The Steelers continue to be a bottom-five team in almost every offensive efficiency metric and have a point differential of -31, despite having a winning record. The defense cannot keep carrying this team to close victories. If the Steelers want to consistently win games, the team’s offense must improve significantly. While Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been promising changes, every Pittsburgh fan knows that the team is not going to address any deep-rooted problems.
Pittsburgh’s offensive lineup is not perfect, but their struggles are not a reflection of their talent. Wide receiver George Pickens has been a shining example of this, as each of the Steelers’ wins have relied on a 50+ yard touchdown from him. Some people still point to Pickett as the main problem, but I disagree. Yes, Kenny is not currently a top 10 or even top 15 quarterback, but it is impossible to explain the offensive disaster based on his struggles alone.
Matt Canada is at the center of the Steelers’ problems on offense. His scheme is extremely predictable – when under center the Steelers pass the ball on around 12% of snaps, while in shotgun they pass at a rate of 83% (92% in the first half). Other NFL teams’ pass rate tend to be 25% to 40% under center and 70% to 80% in shotgun. Canada’s overly formulaic coaching often leads to a struggle to overcome point deficits, but he told reporters before the game with the Texans that the Steelers were not built to come back from big leads. The lack of accountability on his part has been yet another factor in his unpopularity and does not bode well for any chance of improving.
Despite the atrocious offensive displays, data showing clear problems, and anger within the fanbase, it is incredibly unlikely that Matt Canada will be fired this season. The fact that he was able to stay this offseason was astonishing and can only be explained by the franchise’s desire to preserve a reputation for not terminating coaches mid-contract. Regardless of this approach’s merits, keeping Canada has likely cost the team any chance it had to improve its offense from last year. At this point in the season, even if Canada were to be fired, it is unlikely the team could adjust to a new system well enough to be a serious force offensively. Unfortunately for Steelers fans, it looks like finishing with a 9-8 is about as good as we can hope for in 2023.
