Throughout the Matt Canada tenure as offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, there have been plenty of gripes regarding the lack of explosive plays, scoring, and red zone success.
One of the biggest gripes year after year though has been utilizing the middle of the field, or the lack thereof.
That grip continued in 2022, and now seven months removed from the 2022 season, that gripe remains, especially after Pro Football Focus’s QB Annual from the 2022 season showed that Pittsburgh largely ignored one of the most valuable areas of the field in today’s game, that being between the hashmarks.
According to PFF’s QB Annual, the route heat map that tracked all routes and targets from the 2022 season was rather ice cold in the middle of the field between the has marks, especially with quarterback Kenny Pickett at the helm.
“The heat map of Pittsburgh’s routes with Kenny Pickett behind center leaves a void between the numbers, particularly the middle of the field at intermediate depths. That’s not just blue in the middle — it’s as dark a blue as the scale goes. For several years now, the Steelers’ passing offense has been one of the least diverse in the league. It’s a lot of quick-hitting routes outside the numbers, with the deeper opportunities coming almost exclusively on go-balls down the sideline,” PFF’s Ben Linsey writes regarding the takeaway from Pittsburgh’s offense in the QB Annual. “Receivers like George Pickens can win in those downfield, 50-50 situations, but it’s a tough way to move the ball consistently, especially without a run game to help keep the offense on schedule.
“In Matt Canada’s two years as offensive coordinator, the only two teams with fewer passing yards between the numbers on throws at least five yards downfield than the Steelers (1,945) are the Chicago Bears (1,786). The total pass attempts over that two-year stretch are 1,235 for Pittsburgh (sixth-most in NFL) compared to 919 for the Bears (last in NFL). Pickett and Canada will need to do a better job of attacking the middle of the field in their second season together for the passing offense to make the most of a talented supporting cast.”
It wasn’t just a Pickett problem last season, or even a Mitch Trubisky problem. The middle of the field has been underutilized in the Canada era, even with the Steelers having a remarkable young tight end in Pat Freiermuth who can carve up defenses in the middle of the field.
The lack of effort over the middle of the field in the passing game, especially in the intermediate and deep portions of the field, is something that we have been talking about here for the past couple of years. It wouldn’t be an issue if they were having more success outside of the hash marks, but it feels like there is something missing, certainly, when you look at the passing charts and see such a void when it comes to the Steelers and the offense.
Canada stated last season that the Steelers just needed to throw the football there more often as plays were designed to go there, but the quarterbacks weren’t pulling the trigger. Film showed that might have been the case at points throughout the 2022 season, but by and large, the Steelers avoided the middle of the field far too much in the passing game as everything was seemingly schemed up towards the sideline on short, quick throws.
Of course, looks the defense gives matters too when it comes to throwing in the middle of the field.
With single high, or middle of the field closed, it makes it harder to throw between the numbers and invites for outside shots with one-versus-one matchups on the perimeter. That’s Cover 1 or Cover 3. But, regardless of reasons, the Steelers’ offense will have to find ways to use the entire width of the field going forward. Pittsburgh’s offense already feels limited as it is and having a small menu of plays that might work isn’t going to be good enough for this offense to consistently put points on the board.
The numbers and the heat charts from the QB Annual regarding the Steelers and the middle of the field are eye-opening. They have to be better there in 2023 if they are to take a step forward as an offense this fall.
