The Pittsburgh Steelers have already been on a rollercoaster after only two regular season games in 2023. Their brilliant preseason is a distant memory, and all the fans are thinking about is the dismal state of the offense. The person being blamed for the complete lack of productivity on the offensive side of the football is Matt Canada, the Steelers' inept offensive coordinator. According to former dynamic wide receiver, TJ Houshmandzadeh, none of this is being lost on the players within the Pittsburgh locker room.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is struggling in 2023 with Matt Canada as Offensive Coordinator
Steelers Players Discussing Matt Canada In The Locker Room
Houshmandzadeh was on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Wednesday, and with all of Houshmandzadeh's experience going against the Steelers as a former Cincinnati Bengal, the subject turned to Pittsburgh. Cowherd, never one to mince words, wanted Houshmandzadeh to clarify whether the Steelers players are fully aware of just how bad their offensive coaching situation is.
"Here's my thing, you can't fool players. You think those Steelers players know, we got a coach [that] ain't working?"
It didn't take Houshmandzadeh long at all to respond, saying that there is no doubt in his mind that the players are completely aware of their challenging circumstances. The former Bengals receiver spoke from his 11 years in the NFL and said that within the locker room, the subject of Canada comes up often and is discussed extensively.
Then Houshmandzadeh went a step further, saying that not only were the Pittsburgh players openly talking about Canada, Kenny Pickett may be looking outside the organization for advice on the season. The former Bengals player presented a situation where, due to the lack of trust between Pickett and Canada, the second-year Pittsburgh quarterback could be reaching out to coaches he actually does trust. So, when Cowherd asked whether the players were talking about Canada, Houshmandzadeh was ready with his answer.
"One hundred percent! They talking about him in the locker room. One hundred percent. Kenny Pickett is getting on the phone with whatever coach he trusts...yes, one hundred percent. You'll never say it, because when you start talking... about coaches, they hear about it, they gonna call their [friends] - oh, 'TJ is not coachable, man. He thinks he knows everything.'"
That's a thin line for a player to walk, especially when the situation is as dire as this one has become. The talk in the locker room is one thing, but will it reach a point in Pittsburgh where a respected player should step up and say to the coaches themselves that Canada is not the solution? It's early in 2023, so we shall see.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada have little to smile about after two weeks of the 2023 season
Steelers' Canada Situation Is Not Working
The 2023 Steelers offense doesn't just look like one of the worst in the league; the statistics are there to back it up. Cowherd showed a graphic that had the Steelers ranked anywhere from 26th to 31st in the NFL in offensive production, something we could all assume based on what has been on the field. Houshmandzadeh jumped in to echo what has been circulating within the Steelers fan base for the last few years under Canada's offensive mediocrity.
"It's not working, and Tomlin knows it. He knows it. He knows it. He knows it's not working."
That led to the question that usually follows the criticism of Canada, which was Cowherd asking why the Steelers simply don't move on from the failing coordinator. The hollow excuses of continuity and loyalty have worn thin, leaving a lack of reasons for why Canada is still a part of this coaching staff. Houshmandzadeh believes that, while Canada may remain through the end of the 2023 season, it will leave Tomlin without a choice regarding Canada's job.
"He's not gonna have a choice after this year."
Houshmandzadeh played the part of Tomlin and said everything we have all heard a thousand times over; that Pickett would suffer by changing systems, that the Steelers don't fire midseason, but nothing new to shed some light as to why Canada is still overseeing the offense in 2023. Nothing about the current offense is working, something that Houshmandzadeh sees quite clearly.
"It's not working! The way Matt Canada calls plays, and he may expect a certain defense, it just doesn't work."
With a ton of football left to be played in the 2023 season, every Steelers fan is dreading the horror of having to endure 15 more games with Canada's offense failing at every possible opportunity. We all know it isn't working; everyone in the league seems to know, and yet the people who actually have the power to do something about it are dragging their feet, and the excuses are getting less appealing by the day.
Zach Bolinger / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers are relying heavily on quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver George Pickens to succeed in 2023
The locker room is filled with talk about Canada's incompetence, the franchise quarterback can't trust his own coordinator, and we are only two games into the 2023 regular season. If something isn't done about the complete lack of production brought by the offense - mainly ridding themselves of Canada - there will be little to cheer for as the 2023 season drags on.
Will the Steelers fire Matt Canada during the 2023 season?
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