Much to the dismay of Steelers Nation, offensive coordinator Matt Canada is not going anywhere — at least not by the sounds of it.
Head coach Mike Tomlin discussed the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers during his final 2021 season press conference, and Canada appears to be part of it.
“I’m optimistic about Matt and what he’s capable of doing,” Tomlin said. “I acknowledge that we took a step back.”
According to Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh was 21st in points scored (343) in 2021 and 12th (416) in 2020 — an average of six points per game fewer.
Tomlin added there were obvious reasons for the offense’s regression but opted not to go into detail. “I’m not going to seek comfort in that,” he said pointedly.
“We’ve got to be better; we intend to be. That’s going to require a lot of planning and work — players and coaches.”
In a perfect world, the Pittsburgh Steelers would’ve improved significantly under Canada’s direction after Randy Fichtner was relieved of his duties. But given the personnel that Canada had at his disposal, it’s no surprise they didn’t.
“When you’ve got red paint, you paint your barn red,” Tomlin waxed.
That red paint was Ben Roethlisberger. An offense is only as good as its quarterback, and Roethlisberger’s capabilities severely limited Canada’s options.
As questionable as many of Canada’s calls were this season, he deserves a chance to show what he can do with a young(er) quarterback at the helm.
