Earlier this week, the Steelers made the coaching change that the entire city of Pittsburgh had been clamoring for… Matt Canada was relieved of his duties after two and a half seasons as the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh. Canada's offenses haven't cracked the top twenty in points or yards per game in any of his three seasons. The Steelers have been outgained in all ten games they've played this season, and that's downplaying how bad things have looked this year. The Steelers defense has carried the offense so much during Canada's tenure, and particularly this year, that even Chicago Bears fans who had to live through the Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton days in the mid-00's are looking at this situation and being like, “Damn, that's really bad.”

Matt Canada was the easy scapegoat, but the harsh reality may be more difficult for Steelers fans and members within the organization to swallow. As one former NFL wide receiver sees it, the lion's share of the blame should be assigned to Pittsburgh's second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.

“I'm not putting all the blame on Kenny Pickett. But I'm putting most of it on him,” former Packers WR and current Fox Sports analyst James Jones said during a SPEAK panel (h/t Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot). “You can't blame all of this on the offensive coordinator. This young kid's got help and he's not making these dudes around him better. He's making these dudes around him worse. You can say play calling all you want. He misses a lot of throws, and not a lot of tight window throws. A lot of wide-open throws.”

I'm not in any position to disagree with Jones, even though he was clearly spoiled by playing the majority of his career with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. The eye-test agrees, and any statistics you would be compelled to cite would agree with James Jones too. Pro Football Focus rates Pickett the 27th best quarterback in the NFL, with Daniel Jones, Mac Jones and Tyson Bagent in the three spots behind him rounding out the top 30. His 1,722 passing yards this year are the lowest among any quarterback who has started every game for his team this season. And for all quarterbacks in NFL history who have attempted at least 500 passes, Pickett's touchdown percentage is the lowest.

Now of course, Pickett has been attached to Matt Canada his entire career, so at this point it's awfully convenient to look at the situation and sound like a mom in the South Park movie shouting “Blame Canada!” But this upcoming stretch will be the test. If Pickett could elevate to a higher level without Canada, we'll know who was mostly at fault. But if Pickett and the Steelers offense continues to struggle, it may be time for Pittsburgh to consider other options.