NFL
By: Melo Williams
The identity of the Pittsburgh Steelers we once knew is a thing of the past. The Steelers that our fathers and grandfather’s watched growing up are long gone and will not be back any time soon.
For 15 seasons, Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin had the assurance and insurance of Ben Roethlisberger to lead his teams every Sunday. Now that luxury is gone, Big Ben isn’t coming through the door to save Tomlin from having his first losing season as head coach of the Steelers, and Pittsburgh seems to be in disarray.
Tomlin and his Steelers head into the bye week 2-6 after losing to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles Sunday 35-13 with some tough decisions to be made with major problems on both sides of the ball that needed addressing since Week 1.
The Steelers flat-out stink right now, and that’s far from the standard in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has the highest-paid defense in the league, and their defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed if they were the tissue. It’s that bad. Everyone knew Pittsburgh would struggle with Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt being sidelined with a pectoral injury, but I don’t think anyone thought it would be this bad.
One thing used to be for certain every year with the Steelers, and we would know their identity. Once upon a time, for many decades, Pittsburgh was known as a tough-nosed defense and loved to play smash-mouth football. Since the 1970s Steel Curtain days, the Steelers were once feared defensively, now, teams are looking at Pittsburgh’s defense like food with no identity besides being looked at as prey.
Though the Steelers are on a bye this week, no one should want the week off as competitors. Every Steelers coach and player should take advantage of the bye week and try to correct some of the problems holding Pittsburgh back from winning games.
“We’re 2-6, guys,” Tomlin said after the Steelers were demoralized by the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles, 35-13, on Sunday. “I’m open to doing whatever is required for us to get better. That’s just how it is. We’re seriously committed to winning and being better, and that’s just a component of it.”
If that’s the case, then Tomlin should fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada and give QB Coach Mike Sullivan a chance for the remainder of the season as the interim offensive coordinator. If he is not the answer, then find a younger coach with a younger offensive mind that’s up to speed with today’s offense in the NFL. Sullivan has been an offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants though he didn’t have much success with either team.
How Matt Canada has remained on the Steelers staff this long is beyond me. Mike Tomlin has to accept that Canada is incompetent for the job.
Canada was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021, replacing Randy Fichtner, who was fired after three seasons. Under Fichtner, the Steelers averaged 24.6 points in 48 games. During that span, in the 2019 season, Ben Roethlisberger missed 14 ½ of the 16 games with an elbow injury.
Since the 2021 season, the Steeler’s Matt Canada-led offense has averaged 18.5 points, currently a league-low 15 points this season. The Steelers have scored more points from kicker Chris Boswell’s right leg than Najee Harris, Mitch Trubisky, and Kenny Pickett’s legs combined.
Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher said Kenny Pickett is in danger of losing confidence regardless because he is being asked to do too much with the offense.
“I’ve seen this happen to other quarterbacks,” Cowher said on “The NFL Today” on CBS. “Take the ball out of his hands. Don’t ask him to do as much as you’re asking him to do. I know we have these receivers and everything else. It’s not about the receivers. It’s about a philosophy on offense that says, ‘Listen. What’s the best part of your team?’
Cowher also said, “You have to somehow shorten the game with this quarterback, and it goes back to running the ball. I’d put him back under center. Don’t subject him to being back there and getting sacked six times.”
Pickett has attempted 165 passes — an average of 33 per game — and thrown for 962 yards. But he only has two touchdowns against eight interceptions for a passer rating of 66.8, which ranks 31st among quarterbacks with at least 150 attempts.
During Matt Canada’s Tuesday media session, he said, “I’m just working every day,” Canada said, via Chris Adamski of http://triblive.com. I feel pretty good about doing my job and getting this thing where we want it to be and getting it fixed. That’s what I’m doing.”
“My job is I call the plays, and if they don’t work, everybody can talk about why they don’t work. So, that’s all I’m focusing on, our players, and we have to win some games.” Sounds like the definition of insanity to me.
After talking with Steeler Nation fans, it sounds like Matt Canada has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh. Fans are tired of hearing all the excuses saying the right things, but Sunday comes, and it’s the same decisions and play calling.
The Steelers were active before the trading deadline and acquired the Bears’ original 2023 second-round pick for WR Chase Claypool and acquired CB William Jackson III and a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick from the Commanders for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick.
For Steeler’s sake as a whole, some in-house structural changes must be made. Some changes should be made right now during the bye week. Matt Canada isn’t the sole problem of Pittsburgh’s tumultuous season; however, he’s the biggest problem of it.
