Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, Matt Canada has been under steady fire from fans and the calls for his firing have reached a fever pitch. Mitch Trubisky claimed he wasn’t allowed to audible, although the coaching staff denied it. Kenny Pickett was forced into throwing only on third down while the game was slipping away against the Buffalo Bills and Ben Roethlisberger threw some fuel on the fire Monday night during his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast with his special guest, Brett Keisel.
Ben Roethlisberger throws out the first pitch before a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park. (Christopher Horner / Tribune-Review)
Roethlisberger endured massive criticism during his final season from virtually anyone who talked about the Steelers performance in 2021. He was a statue and could not throw the ball down the field anymore. Virtually every national commentator was claiming that Trubisky was an upgrade over the future Hall of Fame quarterback, ignoring that Roethlisberger led the league in comeback victories with seven of the nine wins last season, courtesy of his willingness to improvise late in games.
“I knew the Steelers didn’t want me back,” Roethlisberger shared on his last season. “I had one more year and I knew that was it. So, I knew my time in Pittsburgh was up, it was just a matter of did I want to go play somewhere else. I couldn’t see myself in any other jersey. I knew that was it because the Steelers weren’t going to have me back again.”
Credit: Getty Images
Roethlisberger took a pay cut to finish his career with the Steelers after a meeting with Art Rooney II. Based on the current state of the offensive unit, it is worth wondering if Mr. Rooney would like to have a do over on that conversation. Mike Tomlin openly speculated that a mobile quarterback would be better suited to today’s NFL. It seems that Tomlin bought wholeheartedly into Canada and the likely blame he was putting on the aging quarterback for the ineffective version of his offense.
“They say you will miss the brotherhood in the locker room,” Roethlisberger said. “I almost didn’t have that my last year anyway. 'Cause I didn’t have [Maurkice] Pouncey, I didn’t have Dave [DeCastro]. The offensive locker room was so different, I love making new friends. Pat [Freiermuth], Diontae [Johnson], and Dan Moore there were a lot of guys I enjoyed getting to know, but the guys you played with for many years were all gone. Still some guys on defense, but not having those guys on offense, it was a different locker room. I kind of knew it and mentally prepared myself.”
The 2021 offense was nothing special and it cannot be understated that the veteran quarterback seemed to be ignoring the sidelines late in games when the Steelers had a chance to win. He was not mobile, but behind a bad offensive line last season, he could still shake off defenders occasionally and had adapted his game to delivering the ball quickly.
Steelers offensive coordinator, Matt Canada during practice. (Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review)
Roethlisberger also threw over the middle which apparently Canada does not like to do. Based on the 2022 version of the offense under Trubisky, they rarely threw the ball in the middle of the field by design. Pickett is more talented and did throw the ball in the middle of the field more, but it was not nearly enough against a wounded Buffalo secondary. Roethlisberger was crucified for throwing the quick screens to the outside and now without him, the Steelers are still throwing it to the sideline.
ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Kendrick Green #53 of the Pittsburgh Steelers waits to snap the ball as Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a play during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
The Steelers and the coaches got what they wanted when Roethlisberger retired, and now the offense is awful, and Pickett has to learn on the job. The offensive line has been better than expected despite reports to the contrary and the defense without T.J. Watt needs help to win games. Tomlin and Canada wanted an “upgrade” and by the end of the year, Pickett might be one.
The Steelers might finish well below .500, but the coaches got what they wanted. Roethlisberger retired and the offense is going in a new direction. The direction is backwards and based on the seeming unwillingness to make changes during the season, it is likely to stay that way. If Pittsburgh is waiting for Pickett to start ignoring coaching to improve, then his career is being mismanaged and the organization must step in now.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you still okay with Canada and Tomlin running Roethlisberger into retirement? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
