Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense ranked No. 23 in yards and No. 26 in points. This was due to myriad factors, not the least of which was a rookie quarterback as well as a hamstrung offensive coordinator.
But 2023 is going to be different, right? Quarterback Kenny Pickett is in his second year, and the team can build off his late-season momentum and development, right? This, along with all those talented skill players, means we are going to see a much more wide-open offense … right?
Not so fast. According to The Athletic, offensive coordinator Matt Canada isn’t planning to open things up at all, and that is because he’s just doing what he is told.
Pittsburgh choosing to bring Canada back was a surprising move, to say the least. Maybe Canada was kept because head coach Mike Tomlin knew he could dictate what Canada does without question and the same might not have been said for a new offensive coordinator.
Either way, the Steelers are staring down the season with the plan of being physical and running the football first. On paper, none of these are bad things. In fact, for many fans, this will feel like beautiful nostalgia. However, in today’s NFL, an offense that can’t push the ball down the field will struggle to beat the top teams. Are the Steelers setting themselves up for failure by keeping Canada and planning for a conservative offense?
