Heading into their Week 12 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a major change to their coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada was fired after another disappointing performance in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers had several chances to put the game away, but their offense faltered, resulting in a 13-10 loss. Head coach Mike Tomlin had finally seen enough, opting to fire Canada and shake things up offensively.
For at least one game, the change has paid major dividends. Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 16-10 and the offense looked much better. Throughout Canada’s tenure as the offensive coordinator, which spanned 44 games, the team didn’t record 400+ yards of total offense once. In their first game with Mike Sullivan calling the plays, they surpassed that total and also outgained their opponent for the first time this season.
Sullivan dialed up some effective deep shots and had quarterback Kenny Pickett attack the middle of the field more, something Canada’s playcalling was lacking. It resulted in Pickett throwing for 278 yards, the second most in a single game in his career.
One of the major beneficiaries of the change of attack was tight end Pat Freiermuth. Freiermuth has been sidelined for the majority of the season, as Sunday afternoon was only his sixth appearance of the season. He has to be thrilled about the change, as Sullivan got him involved early and often.
The Penn State product put together the best game of his career. His nine receptions and 120 yards were both career-highs, while the 12 targets that he drew were the second most ever in a game. He is currently the leading receiver in the NFL in Week 12.
Freiermuth’s absence was a big one for the Steelers to overcome earlier in the season. He is an integral part of their passing game, capable of beating defenses up the seam with his size and athleticism.
With him back in the fold, and with a breath of fresh air when it comes to the play calling, we should see Pickett continue to work the middle of the field more. That will result in more production for Freiermuth while opening things up on the perimeter for wide receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson.
Game planning against the Steelers had become easy with the middle of the field not being utilized. Routinely, Pickett’s passing chart would consist of targets only outside of the numbers near the sidelines.
It was a bizarre approach from Canada not making use of the entire field. Sullivan changed that and it resulted in a big game offensively for the team. If this is going to become the new norm for the Steelers, they are going to be an even more dangerous team to play against.
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