The Pittsburgh Steelers substantially improved last season after the bye week. That includes not only the offense as a whole - but everyone from the quarterback, Kenny Pickett, to the running back Najee Harris, the wide receivers, and the offensive line. There really isn't one starting player that you can say was seriously underperforming. Now to add the cherry to the top of the improvement sundae, the Steelers seem to have had an exceptional offseason, both in free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris.
Despite all of the improvements, fans are still concerned about how this offense will come together, primarily in regard to playing-calling. Specifically, the play calls off offensive coordinator Matt Canada. While it seemed as though the play-calling improved after the bye week last season, it still need not feel that it was at the level it needed to be.
Now here we are, months from the start of the season, and half the fan base and a chunk of the analysts are lamenting his return. But is that really fair?
All things being equal, Canada certainly did not have an easy start. He came onboard as the veteran quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger was entering what would be the last of his 18 seasons in the NFL.
In his second season, he started with a quarterback controversy as they replaced Roethlisberger with Mitch Trubisky the following year, and drafted Pickett. Trubisky lasted until halfway through Week 4 before being benched for Pickett. Additionally, there was an injury to his running back, drama from the wide receivers, and a handful of concussions.
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Steelers QB Kenny Pickett
Critics will maintain that while those things happened, he still wasn't calling "varsity" plays. Now Steelers and NFL insider, Aditi Kinkhabwala, speaks up about what she's heard about Canada and the expectations for 2023.
Steelers Insider On The 2023 Offense And Matt Canada
Kinkhabwala recently appeared on The House of Yinzer podcast and was asked about the offense as well as Canada and what she is expecting this season.
She noted right off the top that she thinks the organization worked hard to develop a balance this offseason. They ensured they picked up linemen to protect Pickett, but also to make sure they get the run and passing game going.
"This takes me back to a conversation I had with Le'Veon Bell years ago where he said, 'Balance in an offense is not running the ball 50% of the time and passing the ball 50% of the time. Balance is being able to do what you want when you want. Balance is being able to win with the run game one week and win with the pass game another week.' I think that's very fair. Having said that, you do expect the Steelers to beat people up, you do expect the Steelers to be able to close out a game by running the ball. You do expect the Pittsburgh Steelers, in December, to be pushing other people around."
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Steelers general manager, Omar Khan. | Maya Giron / Post-Gazette
She also says that she feels like this whole offseason has been about bringing back smashmouth-style football to both sides of the ball. Kinkhabwala sees it as more than just the players selected, but also the promotion of GM Omar Khan and the hiring of assistant GM Andy Weidl.
"I feel like the draft and free agency have been all about bringing bullies onto the team. Bringing back that physical style of football that Pittsburgh was known for so long. Obviously, every game is a physical game, it's the NFL, but I feel like they lost a bit of that the past couple of seasons. It's going to be good to get to see it come back."
When Kinkhabwala was asked about Canada and if he is also on the road to improvement, she said she thinks he is based on what she has heard and seen.
"I have been told by somebody who is very close to Matt Canada that he feels really good right now. That there indeed was a process to last year. Things are very optimistic right now, even though I started this earlier by saying everybody better be optimistic. I think that we should see growth in the diversity of the offense this fall."
House Of Yinzer
Aditi Kinkhabwala joins House of Yinzer and discusses the change she thinks we will see from Matt Canada and the offense in 2023.
The show hosts, LeeAnn Lowman and Allison Koehler, mention that jokes about Canada have become "low-hanging fruit" and while everyone makes them, most people do recognize that not all of the blame for the offensive woes falls squarely on his lap. Kinkhabwala agrees and thinks that the Steelers were smart to handle his contract last season.
"It was smart to negotiate that extension prior to the year because it was a recognition that it was sort of a crazy one-off year with a veteran quarterback who was used to playing one way for a very long time and now you're going to have a rookie quarterback and you know it's hard to make a judgment on someone when there are so many other factors."
While the Steelers might have been smart to get the contract done early, before anyone could read too much into why they did or did not extend him, Kinkhabwala still thinks that it is put up or shut up for Canada in 2023.
"But I also think right now the time for excuses is over. You can't blame the offensive line, you can't blame the run game, you can't blame that you haven't had enough time here, you can't blame that you don't have consistency on the coaching staff. This is now or never. This is the year."
Do you agree this year is put up or shut up for Canada? Do you think the Steelers were smart to get his contract out of the way last season? Do you agree that there were some mitigating factors for Canada in the last two seasons? Comment below!
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