Steelers' Mike Tomlin Is Confident In New Play-Caller, Quarterbacks Coach Mike Sullivan

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally made the dreams of every Steelers fan come true on Tuesday morning by firing Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. His time in Pittsburgh was disastrous, and he was a member of the Steelers coaching staff for far too long without producing any meaningful results. With the firing of Canada, some members of the Steelers coaching staff will be seeing an increase in their responsibilities. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner will be the offensive coordinator, and Mike Sullivan will now be calling the plays on game day. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Confident In New Play-Caller

Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are taking an interesting approach to filling the hole at offensive coordinator. Faulkner will be coordinating offensive meetings, game planning, and all other things to prepare for game day throughout the week. Meanwhile, Sullivan will be the one actually deciding what plays are run during the games. Tomlin spoke about his confidence in Sullivan and why he was chosen to call the plays during games during his press conference on Tuesday.

"I'm confident and excited for the men that get to evolve in terms of their roles. One man's misfortune in this business is another man's opportunity. We say that with injuries, but it's the same thing in this instance."

Tomlin went on to speak about the responsibilities Faulkner would have as the offensive coordinator, but not as the one calling the plays during games. He then spoke about why Sullivan was chosen as the play-caller and what exactly went into that decision to make him the one communicating with Kenny Pickett in the huddle.

"From a play-caller perspective, the bulk of that responsibility will fall on Mike Sullivan. And that's also a really natural thing. Because he's done it in two separate locations in the National Football League. He has tangible experience. But also, and probably more importantly, as a quarterbacks coach, he works closely with Kenny. Looking for fluidity in that area and some cohesion there and really getting a feel for what he does well and hopefully that aids us as well."

The way Tomlin spoke about the reasoning to put the play-calling responsibilities on Sullivan, it seems as though he is trying to make second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett more comfortable. It's his quarterback coach, and Tomlin spoke about knowing exactly what Pickett does well and what kind of plays he can execute to perfection. This is a kind of connection Pickett and Canada lacked. 

Sullivan's Experience As A Play-Caller

Sullivan's first experience as a play-caller came with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was the offensive coordinator for two seasons. In 2012, the Buccaneers had a disappointing season overall, as they finished the year with a 7-9 record and were last in their division. However, Sullivan's offense was not the issue. The offense ranked 13th in the NFL in points and ninth in total yards. In 2013, the offense took a step back, but that was largely due to the inconsistent play at quarterback. Sullivan was fired at the end of the 2013 season, along with the rest of the Buccaneers staff. 

Sullivan's second stop as an offensive coordinator came with the New York Giants from 2016 through 2017. The offense finished near the bottom of the league in points and yards in both seasons. They lost in the Wild Card Round of the postseason in 2016 and then declined heavily and went 3-13 in 2017. 

In both of Sullivan's stops as a play-caller, he was running an offense that didn't have a lot of talent. In Tampa Bay, his quarterbacks were Josh Freeman and Mike Glennon. In New York, he was running an offense with Eli Manning at the very end of his career. Hopefully in Pittsburgh, he has all the tools he needs to succeed, and the offense looks a lot better than it did when Canada was in charge. 

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