NFL
By: Melo Williams
The 2022-2023 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been nothing short of mixed emotions with a lot of heartbreak. Coming into the season everyone knew it would be challenging but maintainable. So far, it has been beyond challenging, not maintainable, and it’s been unbearable to watch what supposed to be the standard in Pittsburgh not be the standard and now the Steelers is on the verge of this season being its first losing season since 2003 when they went 6-10.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is in his 16th season as head coach of the Steelers and he’s on the verge of this season being his first losing season of his head coaching career. As mentioned Tomlin is in his 16th season as coach of the Steelers making him the now second longest tenured coach in Steelers history passing Bill Cowher but trailing four-time Super Bowl Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll who coached the Steelers for 23 seasons. The Steelers have only had three head coaches in its franchise history. Right now though Tomlin is trying to figure out how to save the season.
The odds were stacked majorly against Pittsburgh this season. Ben Roethlisberger and Stephon Tuitt retired. Tuitts’ retirement announcement caught everyone by surprised. The offensive line was young and inexperienced. Teryl Austin was promoted to defensive coordinator and Brian Flores was added as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada would be in his second year of play calling. Then the season started and in Week 1 Steelers 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, T.J. Watt suffered a pectoral injury that didn’t require surgery but sidelined the Steelers defensive star for what appears to be the first half of the season at minimum.
The Steelers signed free agent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the off season and drafted quarterback Kenny Pickett 20th overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Trubisky signing had mixed reviews from Steeler Nation rightfully so, but for those who felt it was a bad signing, is now saying “see I told you so.” I wouldn’t say Mitch was a horrible signing, but I will say enough was enough and Pittsburgh faithful had seen enough of Mitch Trubisky and had been calling for Mitch to be benched in favor of rookie Kenny Pickett. By the end of the first half in Week 4 against the New York Jets, Mike Tomlin had enough as well and benched Trubisky and started Kenny Pickett the second half of the game.
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers shouldn’t stop just at benching Mitch Trubisky to correct some of their offensive problems and struggles because the problem is bigger than Mitch. OC Matt Canada is a bigger or the biggest problem and Tomlin has to be able to recognize that. Quarterback changes can be made all it wants but if the play calling doesn’t change, you can’t expect much from the quarterback regardless who it is. Matt Canada play calling has been so atrocious that there’s been rumblings from Steelers fans saying maybe Ben wasn’t the problem and why is Tomlin scared to fire Canada. Good question!
For many it would’ve been easy to have fired Matt Canada already. Many of those people are saying he shouldn’t only be fired but fired RIGHT NOW and never allowed to coach in the NFL again. Harsh? I wouldn’t say harsh when Pittsburgh Steelers fans expectations of the standard is winning regular season games, playoff games, and Super Bowls.
Since Matt Canada has been calling the offensive plays in Pittsburgh, the Steelers offense hasn’t been very productive at all. This season alone with the offensive weapons the Steelers have at their skilled positions, Pittsburgh’s offense is at the bottom of the league. Their offense ranks 30th overall. 23rd rushing, 28th in passing, and 23rd overall in the league. Last season the numbers were pretty much the same but everyone said Big Ben was old and the problem.
Well there’s no Ben this season to blame the problems on and the results are still the same or worse. Pittsburgh’s offense has only accumulated six, yes that’s right ONLY six touchdowns this season. Four rushing touchdowns (Pickett 2, Harris 1, Trubisky 1) and only two passing touchdowns. Najee Harris has only 222 yards on 69 carries averaging 3.2 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown. The wide receivers have been disgruntled as a group and disappointments to Steelers fans. Diontae Johnson has 28 receptions for 267 yards, Chase Claypool 16 receptions 129 yards, and rookie George Pickens had his best game in one half last week versus the Jets but has 17 receptions 250 yards so far. All three wide receivers have a combined zero receiving touchdowns. Tight end Pat Freiermuth has 20 receptions 235 yards and one touchdown. The expectations for that core group of receivers is much bigger than what’s being shown but because of Canada’s egregious play calling opportunities have been very rare this year for Pittsburgh wide receivers.
The Steelers schedule for next month is brutal and most likely will determine Mike Tomlin’s fate on if this season will be his first losing season. Steelers have three games against teams with a winning record. Tampa Bay, Miami and the Philadelphia Eagles who is 5-0 and clearly the best team in the league. It’s very possible the Steelers can head into the bye week 1-7.
Tomlin was asked after the loss to Buffalo if he was open to change with his coaching staff and he replied “Like I said, I everyone understands where we are and what transpired today and it is not cool.” Tomlin continued saying “So, you can draw whatever conclusions you want to draw from it. That’s just the realities of our business at this level.”
Tomlin is beyond frustrated as a whole with his teams offense and defense. The defense definitely need some adjustments itself, but the Steelers offense needs a major overhaul and shift with its play. I’m not banking on Mike Tomlin making any coaching changes before the bye week. I think Tomlin is going to use the next three games as a final evaluation period for offensive coordinator Matt Canada and make a decision on his future with the Steelers heading into the bye week.
