In their first game without Matt Canada as offensive coordinator in quite some time, the Steelers offense alongside Kenny Pickett looked...remarkably decent?
Pittsburgh neared the 400-yard mark for the first time in 58 games at the beginning of the fourth quarter. It's the second-longest streak in recent NFL history behind the early-2000's Oakland Raiders.
Pickett finally threw to the middle of the field, rather than ignoring Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers weapons appeared frequently, and were utilized as often as they should be. This included Jaylen Warren and George Pickens, who made big plays early and often in Cincinnati.
Whether the Steelers won or lost against the Bengals, there was plenty for Pittsburgh fans to look forward to thanks to Mike Sullivan's play calling. Yet, one can't help but wonder what took so long? That's where we come in.
Steelers to blame for Matt Canada's empowerment: Kevin Colbert
While Omar Khan has been the Steelers general manager for the last year or so, he cannot be faulted for failing to make a major decision early in his tenure. It was longtime Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert who initially hired Canada as offensive coordinator, and who stuck with him despite the team's failures on that side of the football.
Colbert and Mike Tomlin are averse to change, which is why it took until after a Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns to make a decision on Canada's future. Pittsburgh's offense has been historically bad for some time, however, as the stat above shows. Something had to change, yet Pittsburgh did nothing.
Pickett looked fantastic in his first game without Canada. Sullivan called a fantastic game, and has done so before as a former NFL OC. What took so long, especially considering the backup plans in place?
Steelers to blame for Matt Canada's empowerment: Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger played a major role in Canada's hiring, as the former Pitt OC was his quarterback coach prior to being given complete control of the offense. However, Roethlisberger had plenty of control of the offense himself, especially considering he ran the system for so long.
Big Ben struggled in Canada's offense, too, but much of that was blamed on positional decline. Roethlisberger was in his final seasons, after all. However, giving Canada a free pass with what basically amounts to a fellow play-caller at his disposal proved to be a mistake. Allowing him to develop his own young QB in Pickett proved disastrous.
As recently as last week, Roethlisberger questioned calls for Canada's firing, thinking it wouldn't solve the issues on offense. Typically, that is the case, as making changes to the offensive playbook midseason don't work. However, most teams don't have Canada as OC, and a potential play caller just behind them.
Sullivan has stepped in admirably, and should have done so sooner. Roethlisberger was wrong, and it allowed Canada to stay in power far longer than initially thought.
Steelers to blame for Matt Canada's empowerment: Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin may feel perfectly comfortable going 9-8 every season to keep his .500 campaign streak alive, but fans in Pittsburgh have greater expectations. Sure, Steelers fans are spoiled, especially after nearly two decades watching Roethlisberger play. But it should've been obvious to Tomlin that something is wrong with his offense, and it was not fixable with the current OC in a position of power.
Tomlin spent weeks deflecting questions on Canada's employment, only to eventually give way and fire him, proving that Steelers fans were right all along. He gave away nearly two seasons of Pickett's rookie contract and development as a passer to a coordinator who should not be running an NFL offense, and likely won't next year.
Tomlin is understandably loyal to his assistants. It's part of what makes him such an admirable head coach. However, keeping Canada at the end of last season proved to be a mistake. Not firing him during the bye week was inexcusable, as it gave Sullivan less than a week to make changes to the offensive approach.
Even with all of that, Tomlin may get bailed out by a gritty team and impressive coaching staff. Pickett and Sullivan deserved better.
