If you ask what people are thankful for around this time of year, most people would say something normal like being with family, friends, or good food.  For me and for other Steelers fans, nothing could’ve brought as much joy as Matt Canada being fired before Thanksgiving. At this point in the season, I had given up hope that the Steelers would swallow their pride and fire Canada for his incompetence. But by firing him after an atrocious performance against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers have finally shown a willingness to make the changes necessary to be a playoff contender.

Matt Canada should not have been an offensive coordinator in the NFL to start the season. The Steelers did not have a game with over 400 yards on offense even once during his tenure, and he showed no development as a coordinator since he was hired in January of 2021.  His methods were extremely questionable at best, with recent reports coming out that he refused to involve other offensive staff in game planning.  There are so many pathetic statistics for the Steelers offense in the Canada era that it is impossible to list them all.  Although I am eternally thankful that the Steelers let Canada go this season, the fact that he lasted this long should reflect poorly on the organization

Despite Canada only being fired five days before Pittsburgh’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, the lack of his presence was immediately felt.  The Steelers were able to end their 400 offensive-yard game drought, which had started in the second week of the 2020 season.  It was also the first time Pittsburgh has out-gained an opposing team this year, despite being 7-4.  Even though the final score was only 16-10, watching the Steelers’ offense was finally not a painful experience, which is all I needed after watching Matt Canada call plays for two and a half years. 

While Canada being fired is a tremendous development, there are still questions to be answered regarding the Steelers’ offense, specifically whether or not Kenny Pickett has a future in Pittsburgh.  Most fans had been solely focused on Canada’s failure, but after an especially disappointing game against the Browns, the doubts surrounding Pickett have grown.  Personally, I don’t think Pickett has a very high ceiling as a quarterback in the NFL, but that was clear when he was a draft prospect.  He will probably never be a top-ten quarterback in the league, but he doesn’t have to be.  Providing Kenny with more elite weapons like George Pickens, having a competent offensive coaching staff, and investing in an elite defense should be enough to make the Steelers a dangerous team. I think Pickett should be given the rest of the season to see how he can perform in a non-Canada-run offense.  

A lot of recent discourse on the Steelers has focused on its failures on offense, largely omitting discussion on the great performances of some of the young players on the roster.  One of these players is Jaylen Warren, the undrafted free agent from last year that I highlighted in my preseason preview of the Steelers.  His 74-yard touchdown turned some heads, but he has gradually been taking a larger role in the run game for a long time now and hopefully can earn even more opportunities in the future.  Joey Porter Jr. has also been the best cornerback in the AFC North this season, despite only being a starter after the Steelers’ bye week. He has been on lockdown against top receivers this season, such as Ja’Marr Chase this Sunday, allowing a passer rating of only 9.8 according to PFF. If he was named a starter at the beginning of the season, he may have been a favorite for defensive rookie of the year.  

The Steelers playoff hopes are in their own hands as of now.  Being 7-4, they are the fifth seed in the AFC as of now but are fiercely competing for that spot with the Browns, the Colts, and the Texans.  The Steelers need to build up momentum with their next two home games against the Cardinals and the Patriots, as their last four-game stretch may be the most challenging of the year.  Two divisional matchups against the Bengals and Ravens are bound to be close, the Seahawks are likely an NFC playoff team, and the Colts will be going all-out against another contender to make the playoffs.  However, without Matt Canada, anything is possible.