An Annoyed Steelers' Matt Canada Offers No Relief For Exasperated Steeler Nation Prior To Matchup With Improved Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada remains the most despised man in the Steel City. This is especially frustrating for the fans who felt they gave him yet another chance to show that he is capable of running a varsity-level offense. After showing progressive improvements during the 2022 season and executing a nearly flawless preseason in 2023, expectations were high heading into Week 1. Unfortunately, the Steelers got smacked down by the San Francisco 49ers at home, 30-7. Now people are looking at Canada to see if he has answers or even reassurance to give. 

Part of what made the loss to the 49ers sting so badly was how crisp the team looked during the preseason. Yes, it was just the preseason and every team is running a "vanilla" offense or defense. But the 2023 Steelers looked sharp in all three phases. The group that took the field in Week 1 looked like they had never met each other before.  

Many are placing all the blame on quarterback Kenny Pickett, but that is low-hanging fruit. It is fair to say that he did not look his best, he seemed so that off people questioned if he sustained a concussion during the game. It wasn't just Pickett however, the play-calling also didn't look its best. While the preseason might get called "vanilla" in other cities, in Pittsburgh, fans were reveling in the splash plays, as this hadn't been the norm. 

Alas, Week 1 brought the boring, conservative offense back. It felt like we got cheated, why are we running this dated, stodgy game plan? Pickett was only averaging five yards per attempt during the game and managed only 232 yards on 46 attempts. The entire game felt like a letdown.   

After training camp and preseason, most expected this offense to jump into 2023 and open up a bit, using some of their weapons like Calvin Austin III and George Pickens to take some deep shots. However, none of that happened. 

Steelers' Matt Canada Continues To Give Non-Answers 

Recently, Canada spoke to the media about the loss to the 49ers and the upcoming Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns. He obviously anticipated the reporters were going to pepper him with questions about the play-calling during the loss because he attempted to get out ahead of it with an opening statement.

"Not what we expected, obviously not acceptable, especially after camp and all those things. We were always playing from behind. We did not get into our routine, our plan, you guys all know that, but that's just the facts. Disappointed in what we did."

While many fans were busy pushing the blame onto Pickett, there were others who felt like the blame really belonged to Canada. In the 36 games that Canada has been the offensive coordinator, the team has not scored more than 20 points in 27 of those games. They have only scored more than 30 points just twice. 

The offense is not just unable to score points, they are unable to pick up the yards needed to win games. Picking up yards keeps your offense on the field and allows your defense to rest, it is critical. In the 36 games with Canada, they have not gotten over 400 yards on offense. There have been 269 games since 2021 where an NFL offense has gained at least 400 yards in a game, but not one of those times has been by Pittsburgh.     

Canada jumped out in front of the questions and admitted that the things that went on were less than ideal. He seemed annoyed and made it clear that he was discussing this because he had to, acknowledging that he needed to get it out of the way. 

"Wasn't good, can't just score 7 points, can't do all those things, no secret about all that. But I'm also saying it's one game and we got to move on. For me, it's Thursday, and we got to do this now with you guys, and I appreciate that, but for us, we've moved on. It's not what we expected, it's not how we practiced, it's not how our guys have played and we have no concerns it is going to continue."

During the entire Week 1 game, the Steelers struggled to get anything going on offense. They went series after series of three-and-outs with only one touchdown thrown to tight end Pat Freiermuth. They were unable to get any kind of run game established and lineman Dan Moore Jr. was graded the worst lineman for the week by Pro Football Focus.  

"We all got to clean things up. There are some things Kenny would like to have back. That's every game, that's NFL football. One play goes here or there and you're knocked down. You can't go five series with three and outs and get ourselves down 20-0 and have any kind of normal routine or rhythm. Everything we talked about doing you can't do."

As usual, Canada did not put the blame on his play-calling or even really admit that things appeared different and less "splashy" than they did during the preseason. However, he was quick to acknowledge that the ubiquitous "everybody" has to improve. 

"You got to play to win. Kenny can improve, we all can."

What this says for the future of the Steelers offense is anyone's guess. While it is only the very beginning of the season and way too soon to panic, it is hard not to feel concerned about how drastically different this team looks. This is surely a make-or-break year for Canada, but having to spend a whole season watching him call jet sweeps again seems too painful to imagine. 

What do you think about Canada's comments? Do you feel he takes enough responsibility? Click to comment below. 

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