The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive struggles have been well-documented, especially after their 36-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16. The Steelers have now been held under 20 points scored in eight games this season, prompting Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin to deliver an honest take on offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
“I have no reservations about the play-calling component of his job and what he's done,” Tomlin said of Canada. “But I also will acknowledge there's probably a learning curve at every job that pertains to the National Football League. A college equipment man that becomes a pro equipment man, his job is somewhat different as I'm sure someone that covers college football in your space, it becomes significantly different when they cover professional football. I think that's a reasonable discussion regardless of what we're talking about in our ecosystem that is football.”
So, Mike Tomlin thinks that Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada has done a good job calling plays overall. But Tomlin added that he thinks it's reasonable to mention the learning curve between the college game and the NFL when talking about Canada.
That's an especially interesting remark when considering Canada's coaching history. Before being hired as the Steelers quarterbacks coach in 2020- and ultimately being promoted to the offensive coordinator's chair ahead of this season- Canada spent time as the play-caller for Wisconsin, Indiana, NC State, Pittsburgh, LSU and Maryland.
As Tomlin said it becomes significantly different when someone goes from the college football game to the NFL. It sure sounds like the Steelers head coach is saying, without saying, that some of Canada's offensive concepts are just too easy for NFL defenses to decipher.
Overall, Mike Tomlin thinks that Matt Canada has done a good job as offensive coordinator for the Steelers. However, if there's going to be a scapegoat for the underachieving offense, it sounds like it could be Canada.
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