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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Curt Popejoy

Ranking the Steelers coaches on the hot seat after 5 games

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Through five games, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-4 and rank near the bottom of every major statistical category on offense and defense. There has been plenty of finger-pointing at players and coaches. At this point, every coach on the team should feel their seats heating up with how poorly this team has played. Let’s rank this team’s coaching performances through 5 games.

1-Special teams coordinator Danny Smith

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Sunday was a disaster for the Steelers special teams but as has been the case most of the season, the errors have been more about individual effort and not scheme. Danny Smith didn’t cause the injury to Steven Sims and the scheme had nothing to do with punter Pressley Harvin III shanking two punts and always-reliable kicker Chris Boswell missing two kicks.

2-Head coach Mike Tomlin

(Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

On game day, no one can say exactly how much input Tomlin has from play to play but we do know he is the final say on personnel decisions and can make changes week to week and he has fallen short in both categories this season.

3-Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

If it wasn’t for Matt Canada, all anyone would be talking about is how poorly defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has handled the defense since losing linebacker T.J. Watt. In fact, a case could be made given how much the Pittsburgh front office spent on that side of the football, Austin’s seat should be the hottest of them all.

1-Offenisve coordinator Matt Canada

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

How many offensive coordinators would love to have the cast of skill players Matt Canada has? Canada’s unwillingness to open up the offense, even with Kenny Pickett at quarterback. It seems like it is only a matter of when and not if Canada is fire.

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