I am on record as favoring replacement of Pittsburgh “Steelers” offensive coordinator Matt Canada despite having fulsomely praised Matt’s work at Pitt in his lone season there and urging his hiring as head coach somewhere. And I still believe totally that Matt would make an excellent head man.
But the issue now is OC of the “Steelers”. The “Steelers” O was offensive this season, I am on record on that too, as recently as yesterday. The offense is “incredibly young” (Associated Press) and B-O-R-I-N-G. Those are two characterizations you don’t often see in the same sentence. They are potentially dynamic and explosive. George Pickens is electric. Najee Harris is a dynamite running back and QB Kenny Pickett, all he does is win in the clutch.
Pickett had to be brought along slowly this season and credit to Canada for that but Canada seemed to be coaching gun shied. The man is a creative and innovative thinker but seemed to be in a strait jacket this season. Probably self-imposed and forced onto him by having a rookie QB. Still the offense’s work was Matt’s work product and imo “Steelers” fans were more right than wrong to have expressed exasperation with the “vanilla” offense in the second half. There seems to be sooo much unexploited potential there.
Head coach Mike Tomlin did not commit to Matt today, nor did he commit to making a change. Tomlin committed to an evaluation of all the assistants but specifically, in answer to a direct question, to evaluating Canada. The “Steelers” don’t fire coaches, head or assistant, whimsically or emotionally, as by contrast do the Leaveland “Browns” who told DC Joe Woods to leave today. The process for hiring and firing in Pittsburgh is deliberative. In the opinion of some of Steeler Nation who know the franchise’s tendencies far better than I, Tomlin’s commitment to evaluation today means Canada will be retained. I do think though that this “Steeler” fannie has a very good suggestion on OC:
Jared Kane
@BaddestBearJew
(https://twitter.com/BaddestBearJew)
Promote Brian Flores to DC.
Terminate Teryl Austin.
Terminate Matt Canada.
Hire Frank Reich to OC.
1:38 PM · Jan 9, 2023 (https://twitter.com/BaddestBearJew/status/1612519303265550336)
