Tag: Matt Canada

Rich Eisen: Steelers OC Arthur Smith is ‘exactly what the doctor ordered’

Rich Eisen thinks the Steelers got the perfect fit for their offense with the hire of Arthur Smith.

Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers had to take ownership of the fact that keeping offensive coordinator Matt Canada on the staff was a huge mistake. It didn’t take any time for the offense to show signs of life.

Now the Steelers have a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith and his scheme promises to better use the team’s skill players while continuing to improve the run game.

For the most part, pundits are positive about the hire including Rich Eisen. He was speaking to Steelers superfan Joe Manganiello and Eisen noted that Smith is “exactly what the doctor ordered” for the Steelers offense.

The bar wasn’t set very high for Smith after the offensive debacle created by Matt Canada and head coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin must shoulder some blame in this if for no other reason than failing to cut Canada loose sooner. Nevertheless, the pressure on Smith to get the passing game on track and put more points up is palpable already and it is still just February.

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Steelers announce Arthur Smith as new offensive coordinator

The Steelers officially name Arthur Smith the team’s new offensive coordinator.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Smith spent the last three seasons with the Falcons and was with the Tennessee Titans from 2011-2020. Smith’s final two seasons with Tennessee he served as the offensive coordinator and the offense was among the very best in the NFL. Running back Derrick Henry rushed for 2,027 yards and quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 3,819 yards and had 40 total touchdowns.

Pittsburgh fired Matt Canada midseason with running backs coach Eddie Faulkner and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan shared the load for the offense. The team saw some improvement but the addition of Smith gives the team stability and a resume of success to build from. Next up will be Smith and head coach Mike Tomlin making the personnel moves to build Smith’s staff.

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Steelers in awkward spot with Mike Sullivan

The Steelers may end up needing to fire Mike Sullivan

Just over a week into the NFL hiring cycle, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a rather uncomfortable spot. Reports are the Steelers have hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as the team’s new offensive coordinator. This is a good thing.

But there are still more coaching decisions to be made and one was made more uncomfortable. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan was in the running to be the new offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders but Vegas went with Kliff Kingsbury instead.

Now the Steelers have a coaching predicament with Sullivan. Getting improved quarterback play is a focus and top priority. This means a new quarterbacks coach and maybe even a passing game coordinator. The hope was Sullivan would ride off into the sunset with a new team. Now it might mean the Steelers will have to let Sullivan go so they can hire his replacement.

Sullivan took over playcalling for the Steelers last season after the firing of Matt Canada. But head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear at the end of the season that neither Sullivan nor interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner were candidates to take over the job.

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Final decision on new OC will belong to Steelers HC Mike Tomlin

Art Rooney II says Mike Tomlin will have final say over the new offensive coordinator.

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II addressed the media on Monday and did a year in review and offered up his insights and opinions on the upcoming offseason. One topic of discussion everyone was interested in was the team’s search for a new offensive coordinator.

Rooney said that while the team was taking a team approach to the interview process, the final say in who the new offensive coordinator will be up to head coach Mike Tomlin alone.

In addition, Rooney said he wants the new offensive coordinator to bring a fresh approach to the offense. Last season, with Matt Canada in charge of the offense, the Steelers were among the worst offenses in the NFL. They were plodding and predictable, with no semblance of innovation or explosion.

Even with all the other issues, once Tomlin fired Canada, the offense improved. We never got a full picture of what the offense looked like minus Canada with Kenny Pickett at quarterback due to his injury but it did show this team has the talent to compete with the right scheme and leadership.

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Steelers OC candidate Thomas Brown let go by Panthers

Thomas Brown was interviewd for the Steelers OC vacancy.

One of the potential candidates for the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator is former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. We say former because the Panthers let Brown go after one year as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Thomas interviewed with the Steelers last Wednesday and has drawn praise for his philosophy and mindset. Johnson is one of two candidates the team has officially interviewed including Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson.

The choice of Brown as a candidate is a curious one. Brown is a former NFL running back so one would assume his philosophy is centered on running the football as opposed to an innovative passing attack that maximizes the potential of a young quarterback.

The Panthers offense was easily the worst in the NFL last season. Carolina chose quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. If Young’s development as a rookie carries any weight, Brown doesn’t feel like a serious candidate given the Steelers needs.

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Steelers interviewing Texans QB coach for OC vacancy

The Steelers are interviewing Jerrod Johnson.

According to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, the Pittsburgh Steelers are interviewing Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Johnson gained a ton of notoriety in 2023 for the work he did with Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud was the best rookie quarterback in the league in 2023 and one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

2023 was Johnson’s only season as the Texans quarterbacks coach and he has fast-tracked his NFL career thanks to his knowledge and ability to maximize and develop talent.

Johnson played in the NFL for eight seasons after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. The Steelers are focusing their attention on replacing Matt Canada with a new offensive coordinator who can innovate and get the Steelers quarterback position on track.

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Steelers QB coach Mike Sullivan to interview for OC with Saints

Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan has another interview.

According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is interviewing for the offensive coordinator vacancy with the New Orleans Saints.

Sullivan took over as the team’s primary offensive playcaller after the team fired Matt Canada. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner was named interim offensive coordinator but Sullivan’s experience as an offensive coordinator made him the best fit to call plays on gameday.

The Steelers are already on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator and if Sullivan leaves, it would expand the search to a quarterbacks coach as well. The Steelers offense ranked among the worst in the league in yards and scoring due in large part to problems at the quarterback position.

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Saints schedule interview with Steelers play caller Mike Sullivan

Saints schedule interview with Steelers quarterbacks coach and play caller Mike Sullivan, who replaced Matt Canada at midseason:

Here’s another name for the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator search: Mike Sullivan. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints have scheduled an interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach to discuss the vacancy. Sullivan took over play-calling duties when the Steelers fired Matt Canada midseason.

Sullivan, 56, has been around a long time. He helped prepare Derek Carr for the NFL draft when he was coming out of school and coached his older brother David Carr on the New York Giants. He’s previously worked as an offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in 2012 and 2013) and Giants, though he only occasionally called plays while working under offensive-minded head coaches like Ben McAdoo. He’s been in the NFL since 2002 and spent eight years coaching at the college level.

Hopefully the Saints are just being thorough. The Steelers offense was more inept than theirs last season and Kenny Pickett has not developed well under Sullivan’s tutelage; Pickett threw has thrown the same number of interceptions as touchdowns (13) through his first 25 games, ranking 31st and 27th in adjusted net yards per attempt in his first two seasons. Sullivan has drawn attention from other teams like the Las Vegas Raiders so his services are in demand, but he’s far from the most appealing candidate on New Orleans’ radar.

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Steelers QBs coach Mike Sullivan to interview with Raiders for OC vacancy

Mike Sullivan could be headed to Las Vegas with new head coach Antonio Pierce.

According to NFL reporter Mike Garafolo, the Las Vegas Raiders plan to interview Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback coach Mike Sullivan for their vacancy as offensive coordinator.

Sullivan assumed the role of offensive play caller for the Steelers in 2023 after head coach Mike Tomlin fired then-offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner was named interim offensive coordinator but Tomlin leaned on Sullivan’s experience as a play caller to take on that responsibility.

Despite the team’s success with the offense once Sullivan took over calling the plays, Tomlin made it clear the team plans to pursue outside candidates for the position. The team has already requested permission to interview Rams passing game coordinator Zac Robinson and it is reported that the team will also interview former NFL head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

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