The Pittsburgh Steelers offense was abysmal in their Week One loss to the San Francisco 49ers, managing just one touchdown and never truly being in the game. Talking to reporters on Thursday, offensive coordinator Matt Canada says he has “no concern” that the Steelers’ offensive woes are going to continue.
“We’ve moved on. It’s not what we expected, it’s not how we practiced, it’s not how our guys have played, and by no means, we have no concern that’s gonna continue,” Canada said via Chris Adamski of TribLive.
The Steelers were just completely outmatched by San Francisco on Sunday. Some of it was a byproduct of scheme, with Canada continually calling plays and concepts that just weren’t working, and some of it was execution. QB Kenny Pickett was inaccurate, missing WR Diontae Johnson on what would have been a walk-in touchdown on one of three slant routes Pittsburgh ran all game.
They just didn’t look like a team that could compete with San Francisco, who boast one of the best defenses in the league. The Steelers’ offense looked a lot like it did last year when going up against superior opponents, and that’s feeble. It was a little surprising just how bad the unit looked after a near-perfect preseason, but that’s why you can’t take too much stock in the preseason.
But it’s only one game. Now, it’s up to Canada and the offense to make sure playing as poorly as they did Sunday doesn’t become a habit. The offense was dreadful for most of last season, and there was the hope/thought that it would improve this season thanks to additions on the offensive line and adding a veteran slot receiver in Allen Robinson II, coupled with natural progression from the young offense.
Week One didn’t provide any indication this offense would be better, in terms of play-calling or execution. The blame can be twofold. Canada didn’t miss passes and throw interceptions, but his play-calling also severely handicapped the Steelers. Calling a shallow cross concept eight times against Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner at linebacker, when it’s repeatedly not working, is a joke. But the offense just wasn’t all that good either. The offensive line struggled, Pickett struggled, and the run game never got a chance to get going. It was just bad all around.
The Steelers now face a Browns defense that’s improved around Myles Garrett and whose cornerbacks were praised by Mike Tomlin during his Tuesday press conference. It’s a get-right game for the Steelers, who have routinely found success after blowout losses under Mike Tomlin. Monday is another opportunity, and the Steelers and the offense have to prove it’s better.
