The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-1 on the season after a come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. But, if this team is going to reach the heights they are capable of, there are some major issues to work out on the offensive side of the ball.
The Steelers defeated the Browns 26-22 despite the offense not getting into the red zone the entire night. Pittsburgh’s defense was dominant, scoring two touchdowns on their own. The only offensive touchdown came on a slant play to George Pickens who outran the entire Browns’ defense for a score.
Coming into the regular season, the Steelers were the hottest team in the NFL. Preseason doesn’t count for anything, but they tore it up and looked ready for the regular season. Then, they ran into the buzzsaw of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 and a very strong Browns defense in Week 2.
“We have to get our mojo back,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “We have to get that mojo that we had in the preseason where we’re playing fast and fluid with confidence individually and collectively. We’ve lost that, to be blunt, in the last several weeks.”
In the opinion of many people, the loss of that mojo Tomlin references can be directly tied to offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Canada is in his third season as the Steelers offensive coordinator, which is two seasons too many if you ask their fans.
Pittsburgh’s offense has been below average since Canada took over the job. Working with a near-retirement Ben Roethlisberger and rookie Kenny Pickett cannot be easy, but the game plan is what people are most upset about usually.
Despite having some serious receiving talent, the Steelers are rarely pushing the ball down the field. Fans would love to see a change, but it doesn’t sound like one will be coming.
“We’re not going to have knee-jerk reactions in terms of trying to make wholesale changes in an effort to change that outcome, but we do acknowledge two is a pattern,” Tomlin said. “We’ve had two outings that are not up to snuff in that regard. It has our attention as we’re preparing for the next one. We’re all in this thing together — we’re not assigning blame for anyone. Obviously, it starts with coaching — we’ve got to coach better.”
On Monday night, the fans at Acrisure Stadium voiced their displeasure with the offense. Fire Canada chants could be heard throughout the city, which Tomlin also addressed. A passionate fan base is something that he appreciates, but he made no mention of Canada’s job being in danger.
“I appreciate their passion,” Tomlin said of the chorus. “I share their passion. We all do. We love our fans. They inspire us, they challenge us; it’s an awesome relationship. We don’t run from challenges — we run to challenges. This is the sports entertainment business. It is our job to win and thus entertain them, and so we don’t begrudge them for that. We want them to be fat and sassy and spoiled. It is our job.”
That certainly isn’t what fans were hoping to hear. Until Canada helps turn things around or loses his job, they aren’t going to be a happy bunch. But, Tomlin isn’t as concerned as people outside the organization are.
“I don’t share their concern because of my perspective,” he said. “I’m a part of the process. When you’re a part of the process, it’s less troublesome to you.”
As long as the Steelers continue winning football games, the fans will be happy. But, if they are losing and the offense continues to look as dysfunctional as it has in the regular season, something will have to change.
