Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada became persona non grata during the 2022 season. Fans were frustrated with the JV pla-calling and most of all, the jet sweeps. Now a full season later, fans are not any less irate and Canada remains public enemy number one. Despite Canada saying he is aware of the fan's ire, many feel like he is not taking full ownership, including one former Steeler.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada carries a large share of the blame for the lifeless offense in Pittsburgh lately
Canada's first season in charge of the offense was the last of Ben Roethlisberger's 18-year career in Pittsburgh. Rothlisberger was not going to be expected to learn a new offensive system so it was hard to get a true grasp on Canada's style. In 2022, they signed Mitch Trubisky and drafted Kenny Pickett. The original plan was to use Trubisky until Pickett was ready. That plan got fast-tracked as Trubisky struggled and Pickett took over in the middle of the team's Week 4 game.
That meant that during his two seasons with the Steelers, Canada had three different quarterbacks, one of them a rookie. Nonetheless, the offense improved with Pickett. He had a rocky start, but returned from their bye week looking more in sync and finished the season out 7-2, narrowly missing the playoffs.
AP Photo / Matt Slocum
Steelers Kenny Pickett had a very rough outing in their 2023 season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers
The 2023 season began and hope surged as the team won all three preseason games and looked a lot like the team we saw at the end of 2022. But that came to a screeching halt with the regular season. Tthe Steelers have played two games and sit at 1-1. They lost badly to the San Francisco 49ers, 30-7. In Week 2, they beat the Cleveland Browns 26-22. The offense. during both games, still looked anemic.
Is Pittsburgh Steelers Matt Canada Taking Enough Responsibility For The Game Play?
During his weekly press conference, Canada was asked about the offense and what he thinks the problem is. Canada actually commented that he thinks the offense is "good enough." This 'good enough offense' has Pittsburgh ranked 31st in total yards and in time of possession while being 26th in total points. Without two defensive scores, the Steelers would have just 19 total points. They could be looked at as the worst offense in the NFL after Week 2. It is not just fans that are angry, former players are also speaking up about the struggles they see.
Former Steelers offensive guard, Ramon Foster now co-hosts a podcast on DK Pittsburgh Sports called The Ramon Foster Show, with reporter Dejan Kovacevic. On a recent episode, the two spoke about Canada's comments to the media. Kovacevic, who was at the press conference, noted that Canada showed up with a big smile on his face and showed no weakness. However, Foster said the quote from Canada that made him angry was the one about "mojo."
"I don't know. If you have the answer, you can let me know or tell somebody else," said Canada in response to being asked how the offense can get its mojo back.
Foster said the reason the comment made him so upset was because it reminded him of politicians. He said it is like you know he is lying to you, but he pretends he doesn't know what you're talking about. Him saying that he doesn't know the answer to something clearly in his realm of expertise felt like a slap in the face.
Kovacevic said his whole attitude that day, right or wrong, appeared flippant and lackadaisical. The comment that he doesn't know how to get the mojo back was given in that same kind of 'smiling through the tears' nonchalant attitude. That isn't good enough for Foster.
"But in black and white, for a person like me that wasn't at practice, that didn't see him say that, I don't think that's the answer I'm looking for," Foster lamented.
By dismissing the concerns regarding the offense's performance, and by refusing to provide any answers or reassurances, Canada sounds arrogant. The Steelers are notoriously tight-lipped about things going on within the organization, especially when it comes to struggles, but Canada is running out of excuses. However, it doesn't necessarily matter if the organizational line is to just say "I don't know," as a leader of the team, he needs to do better.
AP
Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive players Ramon Foster and Maurkice Pouncey run out of the tunnel on the field pre-game.
Kovacevic pointed out that fans were calling for his firing at the last game. So there is really nothing he could have said during that press conference that would have made people happy, except maybe "I quit." While Foster agreed, he said that doesn't mean there isn't a better way to conduct yourself.
"It also lends you that pompousness," said Foster. "Look dude we know your back is up against the wall. You got to give me a little bit more than, 'I don't know' when it comes down to what the expectation is. Because if you can't take ownership of it as a coach in these situations, then are you blaming the players?"
As a member of the team's leadership group, Canada has a responsibility to the fans just as Head Coach, Mike Tomlin said. Football teams are in the business of entertainment and they need to keep their fans "fat, sassy, and spoiled." While it may not have given the fans the answer they wanted, people always feel better when they hear someone taking ownership and Foster said he would have done that if he had been in Canada's shoes.
"It starts with me, it's on me, I gotta put us in better situations. I gotta be a guy that understands the flow of the game and knows what I'm up against. That Cleveland Browns defense was really good, I put us in bad situations and because of that I'm gonna be better because this is a performance-based league," Foster gave an example of what he expected Canada to say.
Foster is correct that there is almost no answer that Canada could give that would appease the fans at this point. The only thing that is going to make fans happy is Canada leaving or the offense making substantial improvements.
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Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson makes a grab on Christmas Eve 2022 against the Las Vegas Raiders
Only time will tell how much of this Tomlin will put up with. In the meantime, the regular season drags on. The Steelers face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 3. This is a Raiders team that is as bad, if not worse than the Steelers. By all accounts, Pittsburgh should win the game and hopefully, this is the start of digging themselves out of this offensive hole.
What do you think about Foster's comments? Do you agree that Canada should have taken more responsibility? Is there any answer he could have given that would have satisfied you? What do you need to see Week 3 to be happy? Click to comment below.
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