Here's a question

[Oviedo]

Obviously we don't know if the improved offense we saw Sunday night is the start of something, or is it just a blip?

Question to the mob. If the offense improves each week and is effective through the end of the season and we make the playoffs...do you still advocate firing Matt Canada? What is you stay or go metric that he gets measured against?

[WindyCitySteel]

Depends on how and how much. I like some of the things they added the other night, if they fix the predictability of some sets and give Kenny the freedom to change, AND they look like a legit offense, sure, bring him back.

23 pts against the likes of Vegas won't cut it in December, they need to put 30+ on chumps like that.

[feltdizz]

Obviously we don't know if the improved offense we saw Sunday night is the start of something, or is it just a blip?

Question to the mob. If the offense improves each week and is effective through the end of the season and we make the playoffs...do you still advocate firing Matt Canada? What is you stay or go metric that he gets measured against?

The mob will still want him fired. We would have to see some 350 yard passing games with 3 and 4 TD’s and beating a top tier team to maybe get them to consider it.

Personally, I think if we keep having these 70 yard passing TD’s the running game will open up.

[Eich]

If we can make the playoffs and it starts looking like an offense that can compete in the playoffs and is adding creative plays as the season goes on, then I'd have no problem with re-signing Canada. That said, I don't see it happening. There's going to be improvements as the players get more reps together. But I still feel like Canada is a primary weak link. I'm wanting to be proven wrong!

[T.Ferguson]

I just don't really see it happening but sure. I am not the kind of fan that will just hold a position because I simply don't like a player or coach and don't want to be proven wrong, I want what is best for the Steelers so if that is what is best for the Steelers then by all means sign him to an extension. But I have not seen any sign of that happening through 3 plus seasons now and I think the odds of that happening are between slim and none but we'll see.

[NorthCoast]

>23+ pts/gm average and he stays (especially given their schedule).

Anything less, he's gotta go.

[Eich]

>23+ pts/gm average and he stays (especially given their schedule).

Anything less, he's gotta go.

Well, the average so far is 18.7 points per game, so we have some work to do!

["BuzzNuter"]

I think the Raiders are a bottom 1/3 defense. Against good defenses our O will perform poorly. The only way you can gain yardage against teams that know what you are doing is to physically dominate them. We can't do that to maybe half of the teams.

[Buzz]

I read an article that suggested that Canada may have been, essentially, "demoted" -- that while keeping the title of OC, within the past week he was forced to relinquish some of his OC duties ... even in game-planning and calling plays. I don't know of anything to substantiate it, but I wonder if it could be true.

[feltdizz]

I read an article that suggested that Canada may have been, essentially, "demoted" -- that while keeping the title of OC, within the past week he was forced to relinquish some of his OC duties ... even in game-planning and calling plays. I don't know of anything to substantiate it, but I wonder if it could be true.

That would be more likely and I think the rumors of his promotion were sent out by his camp.

[Lonbull]

Obviously we don't know if the improved offense we saw Sunday night is the start of something, or is it just a blip?

Question to the mob. If the offense improves each week and is effective through the end of the season and we make the playoffs...do you still advocate firing Matt Canada? What is you stay or go metric that he gets measured against?

I was thinking exactly along these lines - and thought I would just add my additional thoughts to this post.

For me our struggles on offense come down to the following --

Kenny Pickett
Offensive Line
Matt Canada
Diontae's Injury / WR's and TE's
Najee Harris / Running Backs.

The question here is there 1 specific weak link - or a combination....and what can make us a contender (on Offense).

My biggest concern is --- what if the main problem is Kenny Pickett? With such a promising group of Quarterbacks coming to the draft next season -- is Kenny on the hook to make it happen this year? On the other side - if Kenny is the problem, I'd hate to think the Steelers will just play it out.

My concern is Kenny isn't seeing the Reads, Kenny isn't executing well enough -- Kenny isn't capable of being competitive with Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahommes....etc. The Elite guys we see.

I like Kenny and I don't think he's the big problem here -- but if I'm the GM I'd at least be thinking about the 2024 QB Class.


Offensive Line - Do they just need some time to gel, or are we still in need of some major upgrades??? We've played some insane defenses and hopefully we can start to see our "New" offensive line put together a few solid games. The Offensive line, IMO, is what needs the most work -- EVERYTHING will look better if we can get these guys to Gel / Improve their game.


Matt Canada / Coaching - No matter what it's his job to give the offense we have on the field the best chance to move the ball. What I need to see from Canada is a fast start to a couple of upcoming games -- even if the series stalls after a few first downs -- that would be improvement -- or if the players just don't execute --- that would be improvement.

Personally I would absolutely get rid of Gadget Plays and just move in one direction. We're running straight ahead and I'm asking Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington to run 8 yards turn around and catch the ball.

Diontae Johnson Injury -- I really don't think Diontae's Injury plays a huge part here -- however he IS the veteran receiver you'd like to think Kenny could turn too for 8 yards and a First Down. George and Calvin are still picking up the game......and Allen Robinson (I liked this pick up) hasn't been "The Guy" since Jacksonville (kind of sounds like a Country Song......I haven't been THE GUY since Jacksonville....). Diontae wasn't doing a whole lot against the 49ers.....but maybe his loss was just enough to really put this offense in a funk.

Najee Harris / Running Backs - I love Najee Harris.....or maybe I just love the thought of having a Tough Big Back who fights for yards??? In my mind the Offensive Line and Playcalling are failing Najee Harris......except it often appears that Warren isn't having the same problem?? I would like to look and see the % of Run Plays we have when Najee is in the game -- I think when he's in the Defense knows we're going to run (Canada).

I would just like to see Najee break free a little more -- instead of seemingly always getting swallowed up behind the line (Offensive Line) or just 3 yards past it.

Part of me wonders if we should consider more of what has helped in the past -- with Warren being the Starter and Harris getting more looks in the 3rd and 4th quarters. See: Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis.....or here's a throw back....Erric Pegram and Bam Morris.


*** If things don't improve one if not ALL of these issues will be addressed -- but I'm hopeful a few of these issues will improve as this season continues.

Nobody is playing their best football just yet!! (Except maybe Miami....70 points....SHEESH)

[WindyCitySteel]

Good post, lonbull, wish you'd post more.

Are there too many cooks in the offensive kitchen? Tomlin, Canada, Glenn Thomas, Sully, Meyer, even Kenny all have a say on how the offense is run. Is this a failure by committee, where everyone wants a say in the game plan, and maybe that's why it looks so disjointed?

"OK, time for Sully's play..."

Maybe Canada is a patsy here and he was never given any power at all.

[Chucktownsteeler]

I don't think that will happen, although I wish it did. I read an article that Canada fashions himself as a "stubborn" genius. That type of attitude doesn't bode well for improvements or changes.

[Northern_Blitz]

Well, the average so far is 18.7 points per game, so we have some work to do!

And that probably counts the 14 from the D. Taking that out reduces ppg by almost 5.

I'm glad that the O looked around average last week. It was a step in the right direction.

I think we've known for a while that Canada is a long shot to come back, which is why I wanted to get rid of him at the bye last season. Hope to be proven wrong, but there's lots of evidence that supports that idea.

Kenny is still kind of in the average at best bucket IMO. But he's still young and that can change. And even if he can "only" get to be consistently average, maybe we can still look like a competitive team in the playoffs. But it's important to remember that very few QBs end up giving even average (mean) results.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

The mob will still want him fired. We would have to see some 350 yard passing games with 3 and 4 TD?s and beating a top tier team to maybe get them to consider it.

Personally, I think if we keep having these 70 yard passing TD?s the running game will open up.

I'm a golfer. If I shank one, shank two, put the 3rd on the green and make a 20 foot putt for par? That's not the same as smoking one down the fairway, putting the second shot on the green and 2-putting. I'm thankful that I got a par in either way, but i know the shank hole was a bit of a fluke.

I say all that to say raw numbers don't always tell the story. How you get there absolutely matters.

If they're still running Najee into the teeth of 8-man fronts at a very high rate when he's on the field, I'll still have a problem. It means that they haven't figured that they telegraph plays by formation/personnel. I need to see more passes when he's on the field - preferably play action, since the defense sells out to stop the run when he's there.

This past game, there was a stretch where they started a series pass-run-pass for 5 out of 6 series (I thought it was 5 in a row, but just verified on pro-football-reference).

I need to see continuously improved play calls and proof that he understands how to manipulate a defense into doing what he wants them to do...