It’s not easy being OC. Rarely do they actually get the credit, and that tends to be reserved for a select few, but they always receive the blame. That is certainly the case for Pittsburgh Steelers third-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who has been met with a weekly serenade of cries for his firing.
Whether at home or on the road, the “Fire Canada” chants have become ubiquitous at Steelers games—and at non-Steelers games as well. It’s impossible for the players not to be aware of it. But they take it as personal as Canada does, if not more, and WR Diontae Johnson feels for him.
“When I see the OC, it’s like, ‘I can’t do nothing but just go over there and talk to him about certain stuff’”, he told Arthur Moats. “I try to take his mind off of stuff like that, like, ‘Bro, I’m on your side at the end of the day. Don’t listen to whatever they’re saying out there. They’re gonna say what they’re gonna say, but we’re gonna make you look good’”.
That’s been easier said than done this year. The only major statistical category in which the Steelers don’t rank near the very bottom is in giveaways. They only have six on the season, which is fifth-fewest in the league. Yet they rank 31st in points per drive, 26th in scoring (with defensive help), 32nd in total first downs, etc.
Some of that has to do with injuries, including Johnson having missed most of the season, and he told Moats that he reminds Canada that he hasn’t had the players to run his offense. “I’m just saying little stuff like that to him to just keep his spirits up so he don’t just be down”, he said. “It sucks to hear [the chants] because it’s not like he’s intentionally trying to f**k up”.
He may not be trying to, but at times his unit makes it look effortless. And yes, it does need to be said that it’s not all on the scheme. There is significant room for improvement in the execution department. The Steelers could be running the same plays and be getting much better results—like they did this past Sunday. Yet even Johnson admits things could be better.
“People might not agree with his play calling, but you ain’t got no choice. He’s calling plays, he’s the boss on offense”, he said. “We’ve got to do what he says and we ain’t got no choice. You don’t got to like them but you got to respect them. That’s how I go. I respect them, not like them too”.
That last line might sound pretty bad, but it’s the reality of any player in the league. You don’t have to like the plays your coordinator calls, but you have to respect them and carry them out. That’s the only way they’ll work, with full faith and commitment. And then you see how they work, and you understand why that play was in there and called when it was called.
In other words, players aren’t paid to think. They’re paid to do. It’s Canada’s job to put together the game plan and orchestrate it during the game. It’s the players’ job to execute that plan at the highest level. Those two things need to be in sync, or else you get…well, the Steelers’ offense on most weeks.
