Though it shouldn’t be attributed solely to Matt Canada’s location inside Acrisure Stadium Thursday night, he called one of his best games ever while standing on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sideline instead of being up in the coaches’ box. With promising results like those, the Steelers are staying the course. Which means Canada is staying on the sideline.
During his weekly Tuesday press conference with reporters, Tomlin confirmed Canada will be on the grass Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
“Yes,” Tomlin affirmed when asked if Canada will be on the field this weekend.
Though the Steelers still scored only 20 points, opportunities were there for them to nearly touch 30, a rare feat in the Canada era. Had QB Kenny Pickett not missed WR Allen Robinson II on 3rd and goal (or potentially TE Connor Heyward) and if WR George Pickens got his left foot inbounds later in the game, Pittsburgh is kicking extra points instead of field goals. Those issues aren’t on Canada’s plate.
A healthy run game sure helped, the Steelers rushing for a season-high 166 yards, but Canada had a solid script that led to an opening-drive touchdown, created easy yards early in drives, and showed solid red zone concepts to create favorable matchups and open wide receivers. The bar has been limbo-low, but Canada did well.
From Tomlin’s point of view, having Canada on the field made life easier for the Steelers’ offense.
“I thought it aided in communication,” he said. “Coach to player is one thing, but the give and take and the face-to-face component I thought could add a little value to our cause. The reviews were positive and so we’ll continue to work in that area, and we’ll probably continue to turn other things over in an effort to continue to improve.”
As Tomlin says, having a coordinator on the field makes interaction with the whole team easier. While Canada has always had an open line with QB Kenny Pickett, talking in his helmet or on the phone removes the non-verbal aspect of football. The little details of the game get missed, the quick note, the sidebar, the ability to look someone in the face to see their confidence, or the excitement of celebrating with players after a big play.
Players seemed to embrace the change. WR Allen Robinson liked the advantages it gave the team and pointed out it helped in the run game, where RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren thrived. Merely placing Canada on the sideline doesn’t solve all their problems or guarantee success the rest of the season. But it’s one component the team should keep. And, by all accounts, will keep. At least for the rest of the season until they decide on Canada’s fate in the offseason.
