The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been thought to be held back by Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada so far in the 2023 NFL season. There have been multiple Steelers games where chants have broken out from fans begging for the organization to fire Canada, and the same chant even broke out at the Pittsburgh Penguins first game of the 2023 NHL season. The offense, and its key contributors, have shown flashes this year. Including a 41-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens to seal the Week 5 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A7782-544x306.jpg "Steelers Kenny Pickett")
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Pittsburgh Steelers second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) warms up prior to a 2023 training camp practice under the lights in Latrobe, PA.
Pickett has had his ups and downs this season. He threw two bad interceptions in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers and overall has seemed to have some issues in the pocket. However, it is hard to say how much of his struggles are actually his fault. The offensive line has looked horrible to start the year, and Canada's offense has been predictable. Despite the ups and downs from Pickett and the Steelers offense in 2023, they are still first in the AFC North and former NFL GM Doug Whaley believes the offense can rally behind Pickett.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' Kenny Pickett needs to be a key part of righting the 2023 Steelers following the Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers
Steelers Will Become "Offensive Coordinator Proof" According To Whaley
Whaley made a recent appearance on Chris Carter's podcast, Locked On Steelers. The two spoke about Pickett, the team's rookies, and the future of the offense in the 2023 season. The discussion began with the two discussing the Steelers' Week 5 victory against Baltimore, which spawned a conversation about whether or not Pickett can be a franchise quarterback. Whaley gave his opinion on this topic and Pickett's strong performance to finish off the Ravens.
"The thing for me when I'm looking at Pickett is consistency. Can he build on that game-winning drive against Baltimore? Now there is a belief not only in himself, but the people on the offensive side of the ball for the Steelers. When it's time to produce, this guy [Pickett] is going to come through. So guess what the rest of the offense is going to do? They are going to raise their level of game so they aren't the reason things don't go well because Kenny is going to be on point."
Whaley worked in the Steelers front office for 10 years before becoming the GM for the Buffalo Bills. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he worked with Ben Roethlisberger and was a part of two Super Bowl victories, therefore he knows about quarterback play in Pittsburgh and what needs to happen offensively for a team to succeed. He spoke more about how Pickett has played down the stretch in games for the Steelers, and how he has the ability to lead game-winning drives.
"For lack of a better term, it can be offensive coordinator proof. As in no matter what the play call is, Kenny can recognize the coverage and say, 'Alright this is the play, but we're going to go here because that's the best option we have to get the play done.' Then that belief starts to feed and starts to build and all of a sudden, you have an offense that is saying it doesn't matter what play is called because we have belief in our quarterback to get us in the situation to be successful."
Canada has said that Pickett has the freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage, and the second-year quarterback displayed that on the game-winning touchdown pass against the Ravens. Pickett explained that he changed the protection and changed the route Pickens was running in order to ensure that they had a chance to execute the deep ball to seal the game.
Kim Klement Neitzel / USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (#8) and wide receiver George Pickens (#14) are ready to make the leap in 2023.
The Steelers have a lot of optimism as they head into their bye week. They are currently atop the standings in the AFC North and in third place in the AFC as a whole. With how horrible the offense has been, it's hard to be mad at the results so far in 2023. If the offense can rally behind Pickett and minimize the negative effects of Canada's play-calling, the team success should surge and the number in the win column will continue to rise.
What do you think of Whaley's comments? Let us know in the comments below!
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