Steelers Hall Of Fame Coach Bill Cowher Gives Matt Canada Simple Advice

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter a Week 6 bye in 2023 at the top of the AFC North. Mike Tomlin's group is 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the division. It's very easy to argue that victories should not have come from games against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 or Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, but no one should be complaining given the horrendous offensive performances that have been displayed. Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada will likely last until the end of the 2023 season, but it's generally understood any other organization would have parted ways with him after the 2022 campaign and not retained him for 2023.

Former Steelers legendary coach and Super Bowl champion, Bill Cowher, joined The Dan Patrick Show recently and, of course, the current state of Pittsburgh's franchise came up. No one is ignorant when it comes to Canada's offense. It isn't good and the stats are rather troublesome. The Steelers are one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL and an old-school soul in Cowher thinks they need to change that narrative.

"I think from Pittsburgh's standpoint, it's a long year. It's a work-in-progress because, clearly, the offense is going to have to be more productive than it is right now. I think getting back to the running game is a little bit of the answer."

Nothing has been good on the offensive side of the ball for the Steelers and the running game is no different. As a whole, a staggering 3.4 yards per carry in 2023 is stat that needs to generate serious concerns from the coaching staff and the locker room as a whole. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have the potential to be a dynamic duo, but have yet to truly be consistent as a one-two punch.

Cowher continued to talk about the running back situation and went into further detail regarding what he thinks Canada and co. should do when it comes to the offense. The ground-and-pound style of football that Warren has showcased clearly has caught the eye of Cowher, and the second-year back deserves to be more involved after the bye.

"I would not just be with Najee Harris; a Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren combination. Jaylen Warren came in and gave that a spark when he came in. He made a couple of big plays on third down and [had] a couple of big runs. He gives them a little bit of that splash, a little bit of that suddenness that you want to see on that offense because you feel like they're just plodding around."

Warren has averaged an impressive 4.5 yards per carry in his professional career while Harris still remains under four since he was drafted in the first round back in 2021. The undrafted ball carrier was a huge factor in the Steelers Week 5 win against the Ravens as he rushed for 40 yards on just nine carries while adding three catches for 39 yards.

Harris could potentially have his last season in Pittsburgh in 2024 if the organization decides to decline his fifth-year option for 2025. Warren is already making it an extremely difficult decision given his pass-blocking abilities and overall effectiveness in the running game. Cowher is spot-on when calling for the offense to run the ball more.

Steelers Need To Find A Rushing Attack To Open Up The Offense

No one should deny that Pittsburgh has one of, if not, the worst offense(s) in the league. Establishing a running game could go a long way in opening up the playbook for a young quarterback in Kenny Pickett. It's unlikely that Canada is the answer moving forward, but the reality of the situation is that the team sits in first place and has a bye week to implement new concepts. If the offensive line can get to work and Harris and Warren become more productive (like Cowher suggested), Canada will be much better off.

Do you think a strong running game is the key to the Steelers offense becoming more reputable? Let us know in the comments below!

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