The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the original franchises in the NFL. Steelers fans went through nearly 40 years of being the joke franchise of the NFL making the playoffs only once in that span. It took the Steelers until the Immaculate Reception to score a playoff touchdown. The Steelers, since that moment, have been the NFL’s gold standard for winning with six Lombardi Trophies and only seven losing seasons since 1972.
Steelers' Franco Harris ran the ball 60 yards to secure the first playoff win in team history. Photo credit: Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pittsburgh fans like to see football played a certain way. They love great defense and a smash-mouth running game. They tolerated Ben Roethlisberger’s passing era because it delivered three Super Bowl appearances and two world championships. During the latest episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, the former quarterback discussed the fans' view of recent black and gold offenses with his co-host, Spencer T’eo:
“I thought Matt [Canada] did great,” Roethlisberger replied to T’eo. “People talk about him, get rid of him, this, that, and the other. 7-2 down the stretch, found a way. I know they are not putting up 40-50 points, but they also wanted Randy Fichtner run out of here after we were putting up 30-some points a game and throwing the ball too much. Now we are running the ball a lot and they want to throw the ball and put up points.”
Oct 26, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of their game at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 51-34. (Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports)
In fairness to many members of Steeler Nation, all they know about the Pittsburgh offense is Roethlisberger’s right arm cures all. The last decade evolved into a prolific passing offense that resulted in playoff losses. It made the older fan base hungry for what they knew, smash mouth football and defense will get you trophies. Randy Fichtner became the poster boy for an offense that had too much flash and not enough grit.
“It’s not easy,” Roethlisberger concluded his thought. “But they got it done and he gave himself a chance.”
Pittsburgh missed the playoffs and were 26th in the NFL in scoring offense. It is true that especially in the second half of the season, Pittsburgh emphasized the run. That might have a lot more to do with Mike Tomlin than Matt Canada. The first half of the season saw a multitude of poorly executed RPO's, jet sweeps, and to be kind, a confusing strategy on offense. Tomlin is credited with directing Canada to simplify the offense and it paid dividends.
Canada does have a run-heavy offense, but it still leans too much on trickery, rather than power. The jet sweeps were more effective in the last month of the season because they stopped running them every series. Steelers fans are disenfranchised by the offensive coordinator because his offense seems cutesy and Pittsburgh football fans aren’t okay with cutesy being the calling card of the offense.
Roethlisberger’s aerial attack didn’t receive effusive praise under Fichtner or Todd Haley. The fans tolerated it because suddenly the Pittsburgh offense was the darlings of the national media with the Killer B’s marching up and down the field. They were a great story, but they didn’t win in January when it counted. Worse yet, the passing game backfired at home staking seemingly lesser opponents like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns to huge leads early in playoff games.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Canada, like the offensive coordinators before him, can’t win no matter what he does. It is why the criticism of Tomlin becomes more pointed with each passing year without a playoff victory. The Steelers are expected to win. They are the gold standard because they play for the gold, not because they are stuck in an endless loop of 9-win seasons and first-round playoff exits.
If they bring Canada back, the fan base will revolt. That may not be deserved, but it’s how the best fan base in football operates. We would never boo Santa Claus, but then again, he has never coached the Steelers. If he did, we would want to see the Easter Bunny get a shot at running the show.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is Roethlisberger right that fans won’t be happy no matter who the offensive coordinator is unless they win? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
