It’s the life of an offensive coordinator. If a play works, you’re a genius. If it fails, you’re wearing the dunce cap. After QB Kenny Pickett’s third-and-one option late in Monday’s win over the Cleveland Browns, we all know which bucket Matt Canada fell in.
On the play that led to fans at Acrisure Stadium loudly chanting for Canada to be fired, the Steelers tried to fool the Browns by having Pickett keep the ball. But Cleveland figured it out and swarmed him for a loss, forcing a punt and giving the Browns a chance to go win the game.
Talking with reporters Thursday, Canada admitted it was a bad play. Here’s what he said via 93.7 The Fan, which tweeted his quote earlier today.
“We got to own it,” he said. “It was a bad play.”
Here’s a look at the call. WR Calvin Austin III jets across, there’s a potential handoff and mesh point to RB Najee Harris, while rookie TE Darnell Washington comes across the line on split-flow action. It’s not clear if this was a designed keeper for Pickett no matter what or if it was possible he could’ve handed the ball off to either player had he gotten the right look. But he kept the ball and the Browns immediately saw what was happening, LB Anthony Walker coming down to meet him instantly.
Pittsburgh had run a similar concept earlier in the game, one in which Pickett did not keep the ball, and the intent here was likely to build off that in the hopes all the window dressing would fool Cleveland, giving Pickett a wide-open lane to gain a yard.
There’s always a line between not being too cute but creatively trying to win in a critical situation. The Steelers’ run game struggled throughout the game, even having a hard time netting a yard. So you can understand the team not wanting to simply run it up the middle. But this play arguably had too much risk and too much potential to be blown up. Pittsburgh has a first-round, 240-pound running back for third and one. Give him the ball.
As Canada pointed out, the Steelers had success in short-yardage last year. On third and fourth down and no more than two, they converted 75.4 percent of the time, second-best in the league behind only the Los Angeles Rams. But much of that came off old-school football. Fullback dives to Derek Watt. Quarterback sneaks by Pickett himself. The occasional wrinkle in alignment but nothing that felt like a football casserole of several elements combined into one play.
The merits of the call can be debated but the results are all that matters. That’s why Canada called a bad play. Bad plays are ones that don’t work in the NFL. For him and for this offense, they better start finding some good ones. And fast.
