The Pittsburgh Steelers have turned their NFL fortunes this season completely around. They started the season 2-6 and have now leveled their record at 8-8 after a 6-2 stretch. The Steelers' post-bye success has been tied to a balanced offense that has seen rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett virtually eliminate turnovers in the passing game. Najee Harris is running like a man who was compared way too often to Trent Richardson and Jaylen Warren has converted Mike Tomlin into a two-running back coach.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett throws to RB Najee Harris against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 1st, 2023. Photo Credit - Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh offensive coordinator, Matt Canada has been consistently criticized for his offensive play-calling and game plans. Steve Smith of NFL Network went so far as to call Canada a little too “saturdayish” in his play-calling for a professional football offensive coordinator in maybe the most accurate critique of Canada and the black and gold offense.
Friday afternoon, Jeff Hathhorn, the Steelers insider for 93.7 The Fan, joined the PM Team w/ Poni & Mueller and suggested that perhaps Canada was not as much to blame for the simplistic versions of the Steelers offense that he takes the heat for designing. Hathhorn was specifically asked by Chris Mueller about why play-action passing seemed to be completely missing from the Steelers playbook:
“I think that’s fair to bring up. It’s Mike Tomlin that wanted this offense to be that vanilla,” Hathhorn replies. “Just not turn it over, that’s his game plan. Be conservative and let the defense win the game. That’s not Canada’s game plan, it’s the game plan he was told to create. Ultimately, it’s on Tomlin. They just didn’t want to take chances.”
Canada endured everything short of pitchforks and torches from Steeler Nation this season and calls for his job reached a fever pitch when they were 2-6. Tomlin made the decision to stick with the embattled coach halfway through the season. If one of his adjustments were to eliminate the majority of the RPO's that the Steelers weren’t executing and allow his rookie simpler reads, that doesn't mean that Tomlin is wrong. He has been in the NFL for a long time, and it is hard to argue with the result.
Long-term, winning games in 2023 against the best competition in the NFL, 16-13 and 20-17 isn’t feasible. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow are the ones the Steelers are chasing, and the offense has to adapt accordingly. The rules in today’s NFL limiting the defense’s ability to affect high-scoring offenses makes 28-24 look like a defensive struggle in the playoffs.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 1, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
It doesn't have to be overnight, but it does have to change, and Canada isn’t going to get them to that level. Pickett is demonstrating intangibles that have the potential to rival the top AFC quarterbacks and fans and certain afternoon radio hosts need to be realistic about where he is as a signal-caller.
Pickett is a rising star, but he is a rookie with 6 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 12 games. The rookie has changed the perception of what he is capable of, and you get the feeling that one-score games in which he gets the ball last are going to go the Steelers way. The Steelers play more one-score games than anyone else in the NFL, so that ability is crucial long-term to their success.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you glad that Mike Tomlin simplified Canada’s game plan on offense? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
