If there was any hope for the Pittsburgh Steelers to move on from Matt Canada this season, it would have been during the Week 6 bye. We have reached that point, as the Steelers sit atop the AFC North with a 3-2 record. Despite leading the division so far, the overall optimism from fans still seems low. Why? Well, the offense hasn't exactly inspired any trust or confidence.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter/x: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has began to rely more on second-year wideout George Pickens, which paid off in a big way in the Week 5 victory.
In fact, that trust has probably gotten worse since the start of the season. That's hard to imagine considering the fact that Canada has led one of the worst offenses in the NFL over his first two seasons. The team opted to bring him back for a third year, in large part due to providing a stable environment for quarterback Kenny Pickett. That hasn't exactly worked out. In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reported that he doesn't think the team will move on from Canada during the bye.
"Not too many people like Matt Canada in this city right now, probably the most hated person in the city. It's sad to say, just a guy trying to do his job. It just hasn't produced results whatsoever. I think the worst thing that happened was that preseason: put together five drives of 17 total plays [and] five touchdowns. They looked like world beaters and all of the sudden, they resort back to what they look like right now. I just don't see Mike Tomlin making a change."
While we shouldn't be surprised whatsoever, there was some growing hope that the team would move on from him. Over the past two weeks, the offense has scored just 21 combined points. The defense simply carried the team to victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, as they shut out that explosive offense for the final two-and-a-half quarters. Granted, they did get lucky with several drops from the Ravens wide receivers.
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It seems as if Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is comfortable sticking with Matt Canada through the end of the 2023 season.
You get the gist, Pittsburgh's offense has put way too much pressure on the defense to make game-changing plays. While the defensive unit is paid to impact games at a high level, at some point, this recipe for success won't work. The Steelers typically never fire coaches in the middle of a season, but this situation felt like a possible exception. Kaboly's report corroborated what Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan stated on Monday that Canada is safe.
Should Steelers Hire Young Mind Like Byron Leftwich?
Not only does Kaboly think the offensive coordinator's job is safe during the bye week, but he thinks those "Fire Canada" chants will persist until January. That's right, he believes that he will hold his job through the end of the season. There are six more home games for the Steelers, and those chants may become only louder at Acrisure Stadium.
On Monday, it was reported that Byron Leftwich has reached out to the team about a possible role as an offensive consultant.
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Former Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich could bring a fresh mind to the team's coaching staff.
Just a few years ago, the former Steelers quarterback was seen as one of the young, bright offensive minds in football. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't end so well, but it's weird that the Steelers have reportedly declined his request. The team simply needs more efficient talent on its coaching staff. Who knows, things could change in the coming days, but the "Steelers have fired Matt Canada" notification likely won't come anytime soon.
Why do you think the team is so adamant on holding onto Canada? Is Canada the person to blame most for the offense's ongoing struggles this season? What were your thoughts on the report that the team has declined to give Leftwich a role as an offensive consultant? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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