The Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking for a winning formula after a rocky and inconsistent start to the 2023 season. It seems they have altered their play-calling, personnel usage, and most notably, the move of Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada down to the field. Since taking over as the offensive coordinator in 2021, Canada has confounded fans by insisting on running the offense from up in the booth. Heading into the Week 9 matchup against the Tennesse Titans, the team announced Canada would move to the sideline. Now, one former player is praising the move.
AP Photo Matt Freed
Steelers OC Matt Canada called plays from the sideline for the first time on Thursday night.
Former Steelers cornerback, Ike Taylor co-hosts a podcast with Mark Bergin called Bleav In Steelers. On his postgame episode, Bergin asked Taylor about moving Canada down to the sideline. Canada has said that he prefers to be up in the booth to better see the whole field. The move to the sideline allows him to communicate directly with quarterback, Kenny Pickett and other offensive members instead of using quarterbacks coach, Mike Sullivan as the go-between. Taylor applauded the move.
"What OC Matt Canada did coming down on the field, I would look at it like this, it's like having your uncle sitting at the box calling plays. You know we all got that favorite uncle, you can get away with a lot of stuff, he's fun, he's a good time, you don't really take him serious. Now you put Dad on the sideline and we know what Dad brings to the table."
Some coordinators insist on being up in the booth like Canada has been doing and are successful. They feel that the benefit of seeing the whole field outweighs anything else. However, many say that they think the leadership aspect of being down on the sideline is something you lose. That sideline leadership is what Taylor feels has been missing.
"That's how I look at the difference between Matt Canada sitting all the way in the box and coming down to the sideline. Dad really gets to see your eyes, he gets to see the personnel, he gets to see your body language, he gets to chastise you right on site and all that. So you got to hold yourself accountable. Sitting up in that box is like watching tape."
To be able to be up in the booth, the offensive coordinator needs to have someone they trust and work well with on the sideline. While there is no reason to believe there is any issue with the communication between Canada and Sullivan, it is possible that something was getting lost in translation.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
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In addition, Taylor feels that the coordinator can get a better sense of the nuances of what is happening with the opponent. Some things happen on the sidelines that are not easy to explain to the coordinator up in the booth; they have to be sensed or felt.
"He gets to check the temp on what they are doing on the other sideline. He get to see their personnel running in and out, he get to see who banged up on the other sideline, he get to see who's the rookie, who's the weakest. I think from this point on Matt Canada will be on the sideline."
Whether Canada's move to the sideline is permanent or not remains to be seen. The Steelers were able to pull out a 20-16 win. They also looked more aggressive early on offense than they had at any other point in the 2023 season, driving down and scoring on their first drive.
Steelers Still Have Work To Do
The Steelers are 5-3 after beating the Titans and hold second place in the AFC North. While all that counts is the "w" the Steelers are still a ways from being a playoff-level team. Pickett seems to struggle to read the field at times and misses open receivers. He expressed after the win against Tennessee that he is aware that he has areas he needs to improve upon.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
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The game against the Titans did show improvements in pretty much every area of the offense. The Steelers still did not win the time of possession battle, with only about 28 and a half minutes of offensive drives, but they did have several long possessions. Those long drives even came in the first half and not just in the fourth quarter. This allowed the defense to rest more than they had in previous games and it paid off with a game-winning interception by Kwon Alexander.
However, all of this gives some hope that the team is moving in the right direction and improving as the season goes on. The important thing is to continue to win as they finesse the offensive schemes. It will be interesting to see if Canada on the field continues to be a part of that and if it continues to help.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers offseason acquisition Kwon Alexander recorded the game-sealing interception to ice the game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9
Do you think that Canada being on the field made a difference? Do you agree with Taylor that the players take him more seriously when he is down there? Do you think the Steelers are improving on offense? How do you think they will do Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers? Click to comment below.
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