The current state of the Pittsburgh Steelers was front and center on EP. 4 of the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast when it was released on Monday. Roethlisberger was joined by co-host Spencer T’eo and fellow Steelers legend, Merril Hoge. Roethlisberger and Hoge discussed the Steelers home opener after the pair attended the game with his wife Ashley and their children. It was the first Pittsburgh Steelers game that Roethlisberger has attended since his retirement following the 2021 season. You can watch the entire episode on Channel Seven via YouTube here.
7 Jan 1990: Fullback Merril Hoge of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball during a game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos won the game 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Tim de Frisco /Allsport
Hoge played for the Steelers from 1987-1993 and was a tough as nails fullback for the black and gold. He played in four playoff games for the Steelers and played a huge role in the final playoff victory of Chuck Noll’s storied career. He had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in the 1989 playoffs in a victory against the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card round and a surprisingly close 24-23 loss against the eventual AFC champion, Denver Broncos.
Hoge and Roethlisberger discussed the current state of the Steelers offense, and the former ESPN commentator likened the current offense to the Steelers of the last two seasons of Noll’s career under offensive coordinator, Joe Walton. Walton had coordinated the Washington offense and had been the head coach of the New York Jets before Noll brought him in and Hoge recalls the inflexibility of Walton when he arrived:
“Chuck hired him, and he brought the smurf system in,” Hoge said. “We didn’t have a smurf in the building. I was a smurf, I got anointed a smurf. My point is we were running a system that we didn’t fit. He was committed that his system worked because it had won a Super Bowl. This is one of those experiences in football where I realized the real good coaches, they adjust to their personnel.”
Steelers offensive coordinator, Matt Canada. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The two former Steelers are good friends, and this was a not so veiled shot at Matt Canada. One of the criticisms last season of Canada’s offense is that he tailored very little of it to Roethlisberger’s strengths. Incredibly, it seems like the offense ran more RPO’s last season with an aging quarterback who is no threat to run than they have this season. The current version of the offense would benefit greatly from Mitch Trubisky using his legs to loosen up opposing defenses.
“This is the only running game that I have been confused,” Hoge continues. “I don’t know that he threatens the box. He adds more people to the box, and he puts more people in bad spots in the running game. Some of his motions they bring people in, and that jet stuff isn’t affecting anybody. You’re pulling someone from the backend and now you’ve got more people in there than you even wanted. Schematically, there is some stuff that doesn’t make sense.”
Hoge and Tim Worley were a formidable running back duo in 1989 and were the foundation of a playoff offense. They were not explosive, but the team suffered when they went away from what they were good at until Bill Cowher replaced Noll in 1992 and brought in Ron Erhardt who did tailor the offense to the strengths of the personnel. Football was a very different game back then, but it is important that schemes fit the players you have if you want to be effective offensively.
“There are two things I think you have to do offensively if you’re going to have a shot to be a champion,” Hoge concludes. “You are going to have to control the tempo of the game. The best way to do that is to have a good running game and you have to be explosive. You have to have explosive elements. Like the Cincinnati game, if you took away the gadgets and misdirection, half the offense is gone. You know gadgets and misdirection’s are usually wrinkles, not the foundation of an offense. You don’t see pro concepts.”
Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
The former Steelers fullback was a film analyst guru at ESPN and NBC and now hosts Film Review segments for Steelers.com. He has been making a living doing deep dives into offenses for nearly two decades and is one of the most respected analysts in football. He has come to the conclusion, along with many Steelers fans, that Canada is running a spread college offense that is designed to take advantage of weaker college players who cannot set or get to the edge.
We truly don’t know how much Roethlisberger disregarded the play-calling in the second half of games last year, but it occurred in the seven comeback victories without exception. At some point, he may reveal how much he improvised, but the former Steelers quarterback is unlikely to discuss it until Canada moves on from his current position. What is clear is that the early lack of RPO’s in the offensive game plan is puzzling. Could those plays have been the compromises that Roethlisberger was willing to make with Canada last season and he never actually had them in his planned offense?
Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
If Canada is unwilling to be flexible and identify what his current group can actually accomplish on the football field and only call his plays relying on scheme, the Steelers may have to move on sooner rather than later. What is clear is that as long as Canada is being inflexible with his play-calling, Kenny Pickett should not get near the football field. Mitch Trubisky was brought in to be a bridge quarterback. What we didn’t know is it was a bridge from a bad plan to a new offensive coordinator. Unfortunately for fans and Trubisky, that may be a bridge he builds, but does not get to cross.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is Hoge right about Canada’s poor performance schematically? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
