The Pittsburgh Steelers hope that the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada will have a positive impact on the offense.
What his firing absolutely means, though, is the popular scapegoat for Pittsburgh’s offense the past three seasons is gone. If the unit continues to struggle, someone else will be receiving the blame.
Former NFL head coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday made it clear while appearing on ESPN’s Get up on November 22 that any potential blame going forward for the Steelers offense is likely to fall on quarterback Kenny Pickett.
“It’s going to make a difference for Kenny Pickett,” Saturday said of Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator change. “Because it’s going to put a spark in understanding, ‘Hey, I’m playing for my job.’
“You just saw one dude take a fall, right? He’s gone, and at this point, it’s now all on you.”
Even before Canada’s firing, some blame for the offense’s problems was already shifting to Pickett. 93.7 The Fan’s Adam Crowley argued on November 20 after Week 11 that the Steelers should bench Pickett for either Mitch Trubisky or Mason Rudolph.
Excluding games where he left with an injury, Pickett threw for a career-low 107 passing yards during Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.
Pressure Shifting Toward Steelers QB Kenny Pickett
Through the years, offensive coordinators under Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin have often received a lot of criticism (sometimes warranted, other times not). It reached a new level with Canada starting in 2021.
Of course, a lot of the criticism Canada received he deserved. The Steelers never finished better than 21st in points scored or 23rd in yards under Canada.
This season, the offense regressed. After Week 11, the Steelers sit ranked 28th in offensive yards and 28th in points scored.
While the Steelers offense was always below average under Canada, the unit’s production has dropped to new lows this season. Perhaps, that’s in part because Pickett is in his first year as the team’s full-time starter.
Maybe that’s just a coincidence. The Steelers are going to find out with Pickett remaining the team’s starter under new offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner and offensive play-caller Mike Sullivan.
After losing to the Browns, running back Najee Harris and wide receiver Diontae Johnson showcased a lot of frustration. Reading between the lines, a lot of their anguish was toward Canada.
That frustration will now point elsewhere if the Steelers don’t start scoring more points.
“All that pressure that was focused on Matt Canada, it’s going to go to Kenny Pickett,” Saturday said. “Make no mistake how it falls in a locker room. That dude has got to be your dude to compete in this division.”
Steelers Players Expressing Confidence in Pickett
The Steelers offensive players who spoke to the media the day after Canada’s firing said all the right things about Pickett.
“Full confidence in Kenny,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said without hesitation, via TribLive.com’s Chris Adamaski. “Full confidence in everyone in this offense to get this going.”
Veteran receiver Allen Robinson shared that confidence too and tried to diffuse some of the pressure Pickett may be feeling when he spoke to reporters.
“Confidence is high,” Robinson said of Pickett, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “At the end of the day, the lows and stuff that we have had on offense doesn’t come down to one person, one individual or anything like that. I think that we have the right group to be able to do that, to get this thing pushed in the right direction.”
“We have an immense amount of talent. I think that we’ve seen everybody making plays that they’re capable of making across the board at every position group.”
But, Pickett playing well in the final seven games will be a much better way to silence the critics than receiving superlatives from his teammates.
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Former NFL Head Coach Issues Warning to Steelers QB Kenny Pickett