Will Levis impressing everyone vs. the Steelers headlines the winners and losers of TNF.
We entered Thursday night’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans expecting a vintage snoozefest. Instead, we got a low-key quality game between two solid AFC playoff contenders, ending in a 20-16 win for the Steelers. Sometimes, the NFL can pleasantly surprise us, dearest readers.
With the second half of the NFL season now officially underway, there’s a lot to unpack from this heated battle in Pittsburgh. Unsurprisingly, it might have a lot of ramifications — particularly of the tiebreaker and No. 7 seed variety — on the AFC postseason race.
Let’s examine the biggest winners and losers from Steelers-Titans on Thursday evening.
The Steelers are in denial about how broken their offense really is.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in pseudo-purgatory.
They ostensibly have a defense led by a constellation of stars worthy of contending for a Super Bowl championship. But their atrocious offense, led by offensive coordinator Matt Canada, is so inept that it barely matters. Earlier this season, head coach Mike Tomlin already refused to hold Canada accountable for the Steelers’ rampant offensive struggles. Now, he (unsurprisingly) seems to be on board with Canada’s latest “brilliant” plan that will likely change nothing for the better.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Canada will call plays for the Steelers’ offense from the sideline when they take on the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. The obvious implication is that Canada — who usually spends games in the Steelers’ coaching box — will be able to see more of the game and understand more of the flow by being closer to the action.
I cannot emphasize this enough. Canada is being delusional if he thinks this will lead to much improvement for Pittsburgh:
A tweak in the play-calling process for the #Steelers tonight: Offensive coordinator Matt Canada will be on the sideline, sources say. He usually calls games from upstairs. Will now be in close proximity to Mike Tomlin and the players as he calls plays vs. the #Titans.
The Steelers’ anemic offense is past the point of making minor cosmetic changes or decisions about coach positioning (???) having tangible effects. Canada’s attack is so lifeless that it’s hard to point at any one thing it even does well. For further context, here’s a small round-up of the Steelers’ offensive resume in 2023:
Oh, and if this somehow wasn’t enough to convince you, second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett resembles an unmitigated bust. Among all qualified starting quarterbacks, Pickett’s current 0.009 EPA and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) composite is 30th in the NFL, with only Zach Wilson ranking lower. That’s not company you want to keep! Pickett is also 26th in total passing yards, and his mediocre 80.6 passer rating is 27th in the NFL. As our Christian D’Andrea wrote a few weeks ago, Pickett shows occasional flashes week to week, but his sheer incompetence outweighs everything else:
“He’s [Pickett] willing to take shots downfield and shows up in big moments. His fourth quarter completion percentage over expected (CPOE) of 0.1, while not great, is signfiicantly higher than the -6.2 he posts over the first three quarters. Some star traits are there, but they’re buried beneath everything else that stinks.”
All of this to say is that Canada should really temper expectations of his sideline play-calling plan being some kind of panacea. This is a strategy where only thoroughly broken offenses would grasp straws. It’s the Steelers essentially saying they’ve tried nothing (as in anything meaningful) and are all out of ideas.
Good luck, T.J. Watt and friends. You’re going to continue needing it.
Fans are preparing for the worst with Matt Canada on the sidelines.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, in hopes of sparking a struggling offense, are moving offensive coordinator Matt Canada from the coach’s box to the sideline against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. Social media got ahold of this one and as always, they had thoughts. Here are some of the best from X.
Pittsburgh is looking to spark the offense by switching things up with Matt Canada.
According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat reporter Gerry Dulac, the Steelers are considering moving offensive coordinator Matt Canada to the sideline this week against the Tennessee Titans to see if it will help the offense. Canada typically operates from the coaches’ box.
The Steelers offense has struggled all season long, and a good chunk of the blame goes to Canada and his inability to game plan and make in-game adjustments. More than once opposing defenses have called out the Pittsburgh offense for being predictable and actually calling out their plays on the field.
Steelers considering moving OC Matt Canada from the coaches box to the sideline tonight in attempt to help Kenny Pickett and the offense, per multiple team sources.
Pittsburgh ranks near the bottom in both yards and points this season. But this isn’t a new phenomenon with Canada in charge. The Steelers currently hold the longest active streak in the NFL of games without 400 yards of offense, all of which has been under Canada’s watch.
What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered? — Phil, Groundhog Day
It’s not just Matt Canada. It’s not just Kenny Pickett. It’s not just the line. Everyone is accountable for the poor-performing Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
Week after week, it’s the same ol’ thing: Protection breaks down, and Pickett gets sacked. Pickett has wide-open receivers, and either doesn’t see them or his throws are off-target. Canada calls plays that defenders can easily read. Of course, you’re not going to have success in the red zone with Connor Heyward. You never use him. When you do, he becomes an obvious target for the defense.
In defense of their predictable offense, Mike Tomlin says that teams are predictable. You know the only coach who says offenses are predictable? The coach of the most predictable team.
Every week, it’s a new opponent calling out Pittsburgh for knowing exactly who would be where and do what. It’s the same week-in and week-out, which is why the Steelers are painfully inconsistent and can never get in a groove.
Steelers fans are waiting for things to change, but they’re not. And we’re growing weary of even having any expectations.
The bye week is when teams are supposed to learn from what worked and what hasn’t and adjust accordingly. But we’re heading into the third-week post-bye, and the Steelers are at a standstill.
There was a spark in the run game during the win over the Rams, but it fell off a cliff in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pickett regressed this season and has shown no signs of improving. This offense is a comedy of errors.
When are the Pittsburgh Steelers going to wake up and not repeat the same tired, boring, predictable set of plays for once?
With Josh McDaniels available, could the Steelers make a move?
The Las Vegas Raiders cleaned out on Tuesday night including firing its general manager as well as head coach Josh McDaniels. This move makes McDaniels available and while things didn’t work out as a head coach, is a guy the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider to replace offensive coordinator Matt Canada?
McDaniels learned under the immortal Bill Belichick while he was with the New England Patriots and was the architect of some of the best offenses in the league as the offensive coordinator there. Did having Tom Brady figure into that success as well? Without a doubt.
Having said that, McDaniels is a great offensive mind and maybe he just cannot make that transition to running an entire team. This doesn’t diminish his particular set of skills. Not to mention, the bar is low for an offensive coordinator to be an upgrade over Canada.
During the bye week, head coach Mike Tomlin said the team has no plans to make any staff changes but this was before anyone thought the Raiders could cut McDaniels loose in the middle of the season.
Another day, another crowd of Pittsburgh Steelers fans calling for the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada — this time out in Utah.
You won’t hear players buying into that nonsense, primarily because there are no other options. It is what it is in Pittsburgh.
“People might not agree with his play-calling, but you ain’t got no choice,” Diontae Johnson said on “The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke.” “He’s calling plays. He’s the boss on offense. We’ve got to do what he says, and we don’t have a choice. You don’t have to like them, but you got to respect them. That’s how I go. I respect them, not like them, too.”
Johnson does his best to keep the embattled offensive coordinator’s spirits up.
“It sucks to hear because it’s not like he’s intentionally trying to f— up. I just feel like it’s my job to be that person he can talk to about stuff like that.”
“When I see the OC, it’s like, I can’t do nothing but just go over there and talk to him about certain stuff. I try to take his mind off of stuff like that, like, ‘Bro, I’m on your side at the end of the day. Don’t listen to whatever they’re saying out there. They’re gonna say what they’re gonna say, but we’re gonna make you look good’… I’m just saying little stuff like that to him to just keep his spirits up so he don’t just be down.”
The offense has shown sparks but has yet to put together 60 minutes of consistency.
As is customary, the offense sputtered out of the gate in the Los Angeles Rams game. Their first drive resulted in a three-and-out, which set the tone for the first half. It wasn’t until the third quarter they finally put up a touchdown, and things got rolling from there.
Canada has been doing this long enough that it shouldn’t take chunks of games to find a rhythm. Find what works early and stick to it. Starting with the Jacksonville Jaguars might be a good idea.
It’s been a frustrating and slow process getting George Pickens‘ usage in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense back to what he was last year, but things are finally looking up.
Give credit where credit is due.
“For all the bashing of [Matt] Canada and his concepts, the Steelers have done something over the last couple weeks that has finally turned receiver George Pickens into the matchup nightmare he’s designed to be,” The Xs and Os podcast hosts Doug Farrar (USA Today) and Greg Cosell (NFL Films/ESPN) wrote.
After four explosive plays in Pittsburgh’s first four games, he made seven in the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams matchups.
“He’s running more fade routes. The Steelers are stretching their formations horizontally, and he’s getting in more of those one-on-one matchups that take away from bracket coverage,” Farrar explained.
Formationally, it gives defenses fits.
“What they’re doing a ton of, and it makes it really hard on defenses, is they’re lining up in four-by-one sets,” added Cosell. “Depending on how the defense plays it, they’re either running slants or fades… That guy is freakish. He’s effortless.”
“Pickens is winning on deep fades and other boundary throws in which he’s able to negate any outside leverage advantage for the cornerback, and Canada is dialing up plays in which the Steelers are running four-strong to one side (four potential targets), and Pickens as the sole target to the other.”
If Canada can build on this and keep Pickens consistently involved — especially ifDiontae Johnson is healthy and playing — he’ll continue to be a thorn in the side of defenses.
Matt Canada has a new wrinkle in the Steelers’ passing game that has freed George Pickens. Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into it.
As a coach, it’s rarely good when you become a meme.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada probably hates the South Park movie with the heat of a thousand suns with all the “Blame Canada” stuff you see out there, but it’s not as if Canada has much with which to counter. Pittsburgh’s offense has been a study in reduction over the last few seasons in the transition from Ben Roethlisberger to Kenny Pickett. They’re currently 26th in Offensive DVOA — 24th in Passing DVOA, and 28th in Rushing DVOA. Their passing EPA of -31.73 ranks 23rd, and their rushing EPA per attempt of -0.17 ranks 29th.
Nov 20, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada makes his way to the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
But for all the bashing of Canada and his concepts, the Steelers have done something over the last couple weeks that has finally turned receiver George Pickens into the matchup nightmare he’s designed to be. Pickens, the 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia, has all the attributes you want in a receiver — size, speed, separation ability, the desire and skill set to win contested catches, and outstanding hands. Both Pickens and Steelers fans have been frustrated by his usage in Canada’s offense at times, but things are finally turning around.
Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar got into the details in this week’s “Xs and Os.”
What’s different now? Pickens was good for four explosive plays in the Steelers’ first four games, and seven in their last two, against the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Rams. As Greg detailed, what Canada and the Steelers are doing now is they’re using Pickens as an iso receiver to one side in spread alignments that take away bracket coverage. Pickens is winning on deep fades and other boundary throws in which he’s able to negate any outside leverage advantage for the cornerback, and Canada is dialing up plays in which the Steelers are running four-strong to one side (four potential targets), and Pickens as the sole target to the other.
When that sets up a fade matchup against a single cornerback, the single cornerback will generally be unhappy with the result. Ahkello Witherspoon of the Rams got the wrong end of it last Sunday… and watch how the Steelers used running back Najee Harris in motion to the right flat.
Ravens cornerback Ronald Darby got Mossed by Pickens to the other side in Week 5. This was a different utilization of personnel with running back Jaylen Warren as the outside receiver to the four-strong side, and receiver Calvin Austin running motion to the left flat from the right side inline.
That motion helps Pickett both with coverage identification, and with spacing of receivers. As he recently intimated, Pickett is well aware of this.
“Yeah, it’s big. You know, shifts and motions are going to help ID. Some defenses do some maze looks where they give you a look that looks
like man and then they pop into zone or vice versa. So, in this day and age with the NFL, teams are doing some good things that help
you identify man or zone. Sometimes they throw some curveballs in there that kind of mess with you a little bit. But it all depends on the
game plan.”
The Steelers have used pre-snap motion on just 91 dropbacks, which ranks 24th in the NFL. So. maybe that should be the next step in Canada’s offensive evolution. Baby steps, but things are a bit better with the Steelers’ passing game, and there was nowhere to go but up.
You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os,” detailing Week 8’s biggest NFL matchups (including Steelers-Jaguars), right here:
In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into Week 8’s biggest matchups, and discuss the Ravens’ passing game.
It’s time for Week 8 of the NFL season, and as always, Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, get you ready with tons of tape study and advanced metrics.
This week, Greg and Doug get into these games:
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins — The Dolphins’ offense didn’t look like itself against the Philadelphia Eagles. How can Bill Belichick and his staff build upon that, and what they did to Tua Tagovailoa in Week 2?
Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks are turning it up to 11 in their passing game.
Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers — Brock Purdy continues to dominate against the blitz. What might Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo do to limit the damage (if Purdy plays at all)?
Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers — Just when you were out on Matt Canada’s offense, he pulls you back in with a schematic concept that has freed George Pickens.
Greg and Doug also go deep on Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens’ new passing game.
