A lot of Pittsburgh Steelers fans rejoiced when the team announced firing Matt Canada on November 21. But that wasn’t the reaction from the Steelers players, especially quarterback Kenny Pickett.
The second-year signal caller, who found out about the news through the media reports, “hated” seeing Canada get fired and described the team’s offensive coordinator change as a “challenge to everybody.”
“I think you have to take it personal, it’s a guy you worked with since I got drafted here,” Pickett told reporters on November 22. “You want to play great, you don’t want to see anybody get let go like that.
“We have to answer the bell. Find out what we have to do to play better and go take care of business.”
The Steelers offense is ranked 28th in yards per game and 28th in points per contest this season.
QB Kenny Pickett Reacts to Steelers Firing Matt Canada
Pickett was just one of a few different players that felt badly and even partly responsible for Canada’s firing.
The Steelers offense never finished better than 21st in points scored or yards during Canada’s three partial seasons as offensive coordinator. But in his defense, the quarterback play under his tutelage was far from an All-Pro level.
Furthermore, the execution overall in Pittsburgh’s offense was less than stellar too. Part of why could have been Canada’s coaching. But fans can’t blame Canada for inaccurate throws and dropped passes, which have been common for the Steelers the past couple of seasons.
Pickett said the entire offense has to be better under new offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner.
“You don’t want to see one of your coaches lose their job. We all gotta be better,” Pickett said to reporters on November 22. “Called coach (Canada), wished him well, we had a good conversation, but you gotta bounce back quick and get ready to go for Cincy.”
While Faulkner is the team’s new offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will call the offensive plays. Pickett told the media that he spends every day with Sullivan and described having a strong relationship with him.
Pickett Throws Cold Water on ‘Wholesale Changes’ to Steelers Offense
The firing of Canada was Pittsburgh’s first in-season coaching change since 1941. That historic decision has given Steelers fans hope that significant changes are coming to the team’s offense as they push for an AFC playoff spot.
But Pickett put the kibosh on that possibility.
“You can’t have wholesale changes at this point in the season,” he told reporters.
“We’re going to run the system that we’ve been using and coach Sully, coach Faulk are going to put their wrinkle on it on. What they want to run and when they want to run it.”
While what Pickett said is true, he might be better served to not be so honest. Most Steelers fans likely didn’t want to hear that the same offensive system would be used even after firing Canada.
Pickett also stressed aiming to be more consistent and communicating better with his wide receivers. NFL pundits questioned the quarterback’s communication with Diontae Johnson after Week 11 when Pickett badly missed Johnson on a few different throws against the Cleveland Browns.
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Kenny Pickett Opens Up on Matt Canada, Steelers’ Coordinator Change