The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a tough defeat in Week 11, losing to the Cleveland Browns 13-10. Their defense did everything it could to help the team get a victory, but their offense offered very little support.
Outside of a 74-yard touchdown by by Jaylen Warren on the second play of the second half, moving the ball was difficult for the Steelers. Looking to make a change and shake things up, Pittsburgh made a massive change to their coaching staff afterward.
On Tuesday morning, head coach Mike Tomlin announced that offensive coordinator Matt Canada would be fired. Changes like that just don’t happen in Pittsburgh. Canada is the first head coach or coordinator to be fired in a season by the Steelers since 1941.
It was something Tomlin was trying to avoid for as long as possible, as he tossed support behind Canada all season. But, it reached a breaking point that a move needed to occur after another winnable game was lost because of the offensive ineptitude.
Canada being out is something the fan base has been waiting to see for a long time. Since he took over as coordinator in 2021, Canada has essentially been on the hot seat. We will now see once and for all if he was truly holding the team back.
Who could benefit the most from the coaching change? In the opinion of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Samuel and wide receiver George Pickens are set to benefit the most from Canada no longer leading the offense.
“Two beneficiaries of the Steelers’ firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada: Running back Jaylen Warren and wide receiver George Pickens. You don’t have to be a football savant to know Warren should average more than eight carries per game and Pickens should get more than seven targets per game. Steelers interim playcaller Mike Sullivan knows how to target his top options. In 2016, as the Giants’ offensive coordinator, star Odell Beckham Jr. logged a career-high 169 targets,” wrote Fowler.
Samuel has been excellent at splitting backfield work with fellow running back Najee Harris. It will be interesting to see how much changes in that regard as the duo has been the most productive part of the offense.
Pickens should see his role adjusted. With Canada calling the shots, the Steelers mostly ignored the middle of the field as Kenny Pickett attempted passes only outside the numbers. The second-year receiver has been frustrated with his usage, which should go up with Mike Sullivan taking over.
It will be interesting to see what Sullivan schemes up, as Pickens has the skill set to dominate at every level. Is Pickett capable of getting the ball to him? We will soon find out as the Steelers have a chance to erase what has been a forgettable start to the 2023 season if they can end on a high note.
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