No one is happy about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. Especially not the players. One of the worst units in football, the Steelers somehow look even worse than a season ago. Naturally, that creates frustration among the group, something OC Matt Canada acknowledged in a Tuesday meeting with the media.
“Until we start performing we believe and are capable of, we’re going to be frustrated,” Canada said via The Trib’s Chris Adamski.
Close your eyes and throw a dart and you’ll land on an ugly stat for the offense. They Steelers are 29th in scoring offense with as many first-quarter touchdowns from their defense as their offense, one each. They’re 30th in yards per game and on a per-drive basis, no team has basement numbers across the board like Pittsburgh. As we tweeted earlier today, the Steelers are in the 30s in every key category.
The only thing Pittsburgh can cite is its second-half turnaround last season as the offense found its footing with a stronger running game and better ball security. For Canada, the team is trying to remain optimistic as the coaches and players try to figure things out.
“We’re trying to stay positive, but I think everyone has to have their own mental toughness through that,” he said.
Canada’s response won’t make anyone happy, but the reality is it doesn’t matter what he says. The NFL is a results-oriented business, and the results haven’t been there this season or in Canada’s three years as offensive coordinator. Blame can be parceled out in different ways. Some on scheme, some on play calling, some on execution. In Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, lack of execution was the biggest problem.
Pittsburgh will try to get back on track Thursday night against the visiting Tennessee Titans. They boast a strong run defense with beefy interior of Jeffrey Simmons and Denico Autry. On the season, the Titans are allowing just 3.8 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns. Without an efficient running game, Pittsburgh’s offense will continue to frustrate those who play and watch it.
