Matt Canada is the most well-known offensive coordinator in the NFL. And don’t mistake that for “popular.” Because he’s anything but. Most pundits in the media space couldn’t name a team’s offensive coordinator but even outside of Pittsburgh, everyone knows Canada’s name.
Colin Cowherd knows it as well as anyone. And as he’s done on a nearly daily basis for the past two weeks, he went in for another bite at the apple, urging Mike Tomlin to make a coordinator change, making the call on his latest episode of The Herd.
“Matt Canada screwed this offense up,” Cowherd said. “Move on. Stop rounding up the suspects. Make an arrest. Everybody in the room knows who it is.”
Pittsburgh’s offense has taken steps backwards the first two games of the season. They scored just seven points in an opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Though the 26 the Steelers registered in Monday’s win over the Cleveland Browns looks better, it was aided by two defensive touchdowns and two 50-yard field goals by Chris Boswell. Again, the offense put the ball in the end zone only once, a 71-yard completion to WR George Pickens.
Through two games, the Steelers have only two offensive touchdowns. They’ve yet to register a first down in the first quarter. Again, they’re one of the NFL’s worst teams on first down while the running game has done little the first two weeks. Under center, QB Kenny Pickett has regressed compared to how he ended last season and looks frazzled and is pressing, making careless mistakes too many times.
“There’s one suspect,” Cowherd began. “There’s a dumpster fire and he’s holding a match and a can of gasoline. It’s Matt Canada. Get rid of him.”
When things are this bad, it’s not just on the coordinator. But Canada certainly isn’t absolved. And he’s out of chances and excuses.
Even Cowherd at this point sounds tired and deflated talking about it. But he won’t get his wish this week. Canada will be the offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh’s Week Three contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. On paper, it’s an easier matchup, though the Steelers will be on the road for the first time all season and they’ve often struggled out west.
During his Tuesday press conference, Tomlin indicated there would be no “wholesale” changes this week. But he also seemed to take a not-so-subtle jab at the coaching staff, telling reporters the team must do better job of “anticipating schematics” as one part of being prepared.
That goes for both sides, offense and defense, and neither unit has been what it needs to be. Two weeks in and the Steelers can’t run the ball and they can’t stop the run. And they can’t count on wacky defensive scores winning every game for them. Pittsburgh needs to have immediate success or else the calls for firings will only get louder.
