Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, Matt Canada is two games into his second season in his position, and the results aren't very encouraging thus far. After a disappointing first season at the helm, he was given the benefit of the doubt for a multitude of reasons. Due to it being just one season, he was essentially guaranteed a second chance. Offensive coordinators, much less coaches in general, are rarely fired after just one season.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Additionally, veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't exactly fit Canada's style of offense. It was the last season of Roethlisberger's career, so he was unable to make up for his deficiencies in Canada's offense. After an off-season in which the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky to a two-year deal and then drafted Kenny Pickett, Canada got what he wanted. He had two mobile quarterbacks that better fit his system.
In fact, it was the first truly mobile quarterback(s) the team had since Kordell Stewart. Roethlisberger was notorious for evading tacklers in the backfield, but he wasn't exactly a mobile quarterback that could take off and run consistently. Michael Vick and Dennis Dixon were examples, but those two were purely backups. You get the point, the Steelers have finally adjusted to the modern game of football, where mobile quarterbacks are becoming nearly essential.
While it's still early, things haven't gone as planned in Year 2 for Canada. Through two games, the Steelers sit in the bottom-half of the league in virtually every offensive category. According to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan, the concerns with Canada goes beyond just the fans. People within the organization seem to be growing frustrated with him:
I’m hearing there’s growing frustration with Matt Canada inside the Steelers organization. Players. Front office. Something to monitor. They do have a former offensive coordinator as their QBs coach. Mike Sullivan. Tomlin hasn’t fired a coordinator in-season before.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) September 20, 2022
Now, this could certainly be true, but it could also be entirely false. If it is indeed though, who can blame them? As mentioned earlier, he was always going to get a second chance, but for anyone who watched in 2021, the offense's issues went far beyond not having a mobile quarterback. Of course, the suspect offensive line at times doesn't exactly help, but that group has shown immense improvements in 2022 so far. Chukwuma Okorafor has been the biggest surprise, as he's been phenomenal after signing a huge contract extension in the off-season.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
The Steelers haven't exactly faced the best defenses in the league in the first two weeks either. The New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals aren't elite by any metric, so it makes the offense's struggles all the more concerning. It's rare to fire a coach in the middle of the season, especially for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perhaps Canada will become the exception though, and if things continue like this, the likelihood will continue to increase.
Do you think the Steelers will fire Canada before the end of the season? Who would you want the team to look at as the new OC in the off-season? Share your concerns and thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites!
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