The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Tuesday that Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada has been relieved of his duties. This had come after multiple seasons of lackluster play from the Steelers' offense with multiple quarterbacks at the helm. After 10 games into his second season in the NFL, Kenny Pickett has struggled to make the necessary steps that quarterbacks make if they hope to be the franchise quarterback for years to come.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada walks on the field at then-Heinz Field before a regular season game in Pittsburgh, PA.
Moving forward for the rest of the 2023 season, the Steelers are looking to split the duties of the offense between Mike Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner, with Faulkner taking over the official offensive coordinator duties and Sullivan doing the play calling throughout the games.
It's hard to say whether the change at coordinator will be a good move for Pickett in the long run, but it was a move that needed to be made. The Steelers are seemingly near the bottom in all categories when it comes to the offensive side of the ball and with the postseason still a realistic possibility for the team, it was a move that could give the offense the spark that it desperately needs.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett had arguably his worst game as a professional in a Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
One of the more intriguing aspects of the Steelers' firing of Canada is that fans will finally be able to see what Pickett can do without Canada running the offense. There have been major red flags in the play Pickett has displayed this season and it is hard to tell whether or not Canada is the cause of the underwhelming performance thus far.
These next seven games for Pickett can either make or break his future in Pittsburgh. He and Sullivan have worked closely over the past year and a half, so having Sullivan doing the play-calling is quite possibly the fresh start Pickett needed.
It has been stated many times by current and former players across the league that the Steelers' offense is "vanilla" and easy to defend against, which makes life tough for a young quarterback like Pickett to show his true talent and capabilities.
Former All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb had some input on his podcast The 5 Spot and he went in-depth on what he would like to see the Steelers do with Pickett schematically to help him succeed.
"[The Steelers] need to get back to 'time' throws for Kenny Pickett. Run the football still, and continue to run it more. But the throws need to be more 'time' throws. The slants, the quick outs, the out and ups, the comebacks, the big routes. These are the things you need to talk to your quarterback about. If you see it, throw it. Don't hesitate."
The Steelers And Pickett Can Continue To Rely On The Run Game
It has been stated by players both on and off the Steelers that their offense can be predictable at times, which will instantly stunt the growth of an offense. Thankfully, the Steelers' run game has been a positive so far in 2023, and the offense has been able to rely on both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in times of need.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had another wonderful performance in Week 11 of 2023, but unfortunately, the Steelers were unable to capitalize losing 13-10.
The only issue is that it has caused the Steelers to be extremely one-dimensional. The Steelers need to be able to focus on letting the strong running game open up the play-action and passing game for Pickett.
Under Canada, not only did the offense struggle to get the play-action going with Pickett, but it also struggled with Ben Roethlisberger and Mitch Trubisky. The frustrating part of all this is that the Steelers have an extremely talented receiving duo between Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Tight end Pat Freiermuth also returned from injury in Week 11 and is another weapon Pickett needs to capitalize on in this final stretch of 2023.
If Steelers fans struggle to find any improvement from the offense and more specifically Pickett in the next seven games, it is likely that the front office may be looking at external options at quarterback this offseason.
What do you think? Is McNabb right about 'time' throws being the magical fix for Pickett? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
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