Truth Telling Stat on Matt Canada

[Steeler Mafia]

36 games as an Offensive Coordinator and has not once achieved a 400-yard offensive game.

Why does he still have a job?

[Ghost]

4 turnovers by the D and the O put up 12 points. A shotgun "sneak" when they need 1 yard.

From the Post-Gazette:

As poorly as Pickett played, Canada's decision to call a quarterback read option from shotgun on 3rd-and-1 with 3:02 left might go down as one of the worst play calls in team history. So much for the front office's desire for the Steelers to impose their will on the opposition. The play lost 3 yards, and the Steelers had to punt the ball back to the Browns. He was lucky the defense bailed him out, but the call and his unwillingness to embrace a downhill running game will linger until the offense shows some signs of life.

Grade: F

[Joel Buchsbaum]

Did any of you presume it is a bad combination of Pickett and Harris? Not that Canada is very good, or even average but IMO most OC's would look bad with them starting.

Canada doesn't look very inspiring. He calls a poor game. But then again he is working with a QB and RB who start that are bad. Can you name more than five teams that have a worse stating QB / RB combination? ( omit injuries ). Hmmm... I'd have to think about that. It is a good point.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Did any of you presume it is a bad combination of Pickett and Harris? Not that Canada is very good, or even average but IMO most OC's would look bad with them starting.

Canada doesn't look very inspiring. He calls a poor game. But then again he is working with a QB and RB who start that are bad. Can you name more than five teams that have a worse stating QB / RB combination? ( omit injuries ). Hmmm... I'd have to think about that. It is a good point.

No. I didn't presume that. Thanks for asking.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

36 games as an Offensive Coordinator and has not once achieved a 400-yard offensive game.

Why does he still have a job?

The ONLY reason he has a job is because this is the final year of his contract. I think it was an effort to be fair to him since his prior 2 seasons, he's been calling plays with 1) an aging vet then 2) with a rookie QB. This was his chance and thus far, it's not looking pretty.

I'm amazed that he didn't have any halftime adjustments. The QB draw on 3rd and 1 against a stacked box, in a key situation should be a fireable offense.
That's your BEST short-yardage play?
You didn't think to call timeout and say, "not that play against that defensive formation - there's not enough blockers over there on that side"

[SteelerOfDeVille]

4 turnovers by the D and the O put up 12 points. A shotgun "sneak" when they need 1 yard.

From the Post-Gazette:

As poorly as Pickett played, Canada's decision to call a quarterback read option from shotgun on 3rd-and-1 with 3:02 left might go down as one of the worst play calls in team history. So much for the front office's desire for the Steelers to impose their will on the opposition. The play lost 3 yards, and the Steelers had to punt the ball back to the Browns. He was lucky the defense bailed him out, but the call and his unwillingness to embrace a downhill running game will linger until the offense shows some signs of life.

Grade: F

Yes... this right here (what I was referring to, in the post above)

[Terrapin]

The other play that really bothered me was, we finally get a drive going with Warren running. He has a 1st down run up the middle for 4 yards to about the Browns 40. Next play? A jet sweep to Austin that loses 5 yards. lol.

[Steeler Mafia]

I'll repeat the stat. 36 games (just over 2 seasons) as OC. No game eclipsing 400-yard total offense.

... and I am to presume it is a bad combination of Pickett and Harris?

Thanks for playing.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

No. I didn't presume that. Thanks for asking.

Anytime. Now can you help me out? I think we have the 5 worst staring QB / RB in the NFL. Can you name 5 NFL teams that are worse?

[Terrapin]

Anytime. Now can you help me out? I think we have the 5 worst staring QB / RB in the NFL. Can you name 5 NFL teams that are worse?

Carolina
Houston
Arizona
Chicago
Indy (with Richardson out)

I'd put our offense somewhere in with those crap teams

[Joel Buchsbaum]

Carolina
Houston
Arizona
Chicago
Indy (with Richardson out)

I'd put our offense somewhere in with those crap teams

+1 Just look at their QB's and Backs! Not saying that ours are much better. These teams are picking high in the draft for a reason. To Chicago thanks again for the 32 overall pick. We are very happy with Porter. How is Chase working out?

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Anytime. Now can you help me out? I think we have the 5 worst staring QB / RB in the NFL. Can you name 5 NFL teams that are worse?

Let me ask you a question. Warren had 10 touches and Najee had 11. With a virtual 50-50 split, wouldn't his elite RB skills generate those 400 yards?

It seems to me that both backs are handcuffed by bad play calling, where the opposing team is stacking the box against the run, yet they kept calling plays right into the teeth of that stacked box. Both of them busted decent runs going outside (Naj's reversing field, Warren's seemingly called/designed).

I mentioned in another thread, but when you have 5 d-linemen (one for each o-linemen) who's going to block the ILB?

So, the real answer to your question is that I need to see a competent OC calling plays. There's not an RB in the league who'd look good running up the middle against the browns defense when they're aligned like that.

Side note: As you spent most of the offseason throwing rush averages out, we've started the season with 2 games in a row that Naj has out averaged Warren in rush yards. Using your offseason logic, doesn't that make Naj a better runner? If he's among the bottom 5, they should just cut Warren, right?

[Starlifter]

I recall Canada had a franchise HOF QB at one point. Still had similar results. Football is too complex to usually blame things on one person - but his resume to this point is putrid.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I recall Canada had a franchise HOF QB at one point. Still had similar results. Football is too complex to usually blame things on one person - but his resume to this point is putrid.

+1... I normally spend the latter weeks looking at college football for players so i know who they are if they become Steelers... I'm likely to spend this year watching play callers

Too bad the eagles already promoted their QB coach (Brian Johnson) to OC - I could have seen that guy as the future OC

[papillon]

The opposing team is stacking the box because they don't believe Pickett can make them pay and as of right now, they are correct. Why would any team give any respect to a Pickett led passing game? Canada may be a problem as well, but Pickett missed more throws last night than Mahommes misses in half a season. He's been bad these 1st two games, if it doesn't get better, you have to pull the plug and try to win games, screw playing for a high pick. Put the guy in the game that you think can generate any kind of offense.

I don't know what Vegas' defense is like but the Steelers are going on the road, that might be good because Pickett had to be perilously close to getting booed out of the stadium last night. That was horrific, it looked like a high school game where the best team is just toying with a team that hasn't won a game. Fortunately, the Cleveland offense wasn't any better and our defense scored two TDs.

Pappy