The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently 6-4 and in the hunt for an AFC playoff spot. While they still hover around in the hunt for one of the seven spots, things have not been so easy for the team this year. Those struggles have led to changes, specifically at offensive coordinator.
The Steelers recently moved on from Matt Canada, as the lack of offensive production had reached a breaking point for head coach Mike Tomlin and staff. Canada is out, and it feels like a long time coming for many within the Steelers fanbase that has been calling for the move for quite some time now.
Let’s take a closer look at why the Steelers decided to go in a different direction for the rest of the year and move on from Canada midseason.
Why Did the Steelers Fire Matt Canada?
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Tomlin and the Steelers brass opted to relieve their offensive coordinator of his duties. Canada was only in the middle of his third season with the team before the organization decided to make a change.
It is a statement move for the Steelers, as the organization had not fired a coach midseason since 1941. Simply put — Canada wasn’t getting the job done well enough, and the team let it go on as long as they could before they met their breaking point.
In 2023, the Steelers rank in the bottom five in points per game and yards per game. Their passing offense is ranked 31st overall, second to last in the entire league, through the first 11 weeks.
Probably more troublesome than the flat-out abysmal statistics is the lack of progression from second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. The numbers are down for the unit across the board, and there has not been a second-year leap as many had hoped from the young QB.
Who Fills in as Offensive Coordinator Now?
While the Steelers have fired one man, they appear set to fill the vacated role with two coaches.
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The Steelers will officially be giving Eddie Faulkner the title of interim offensive coordinator. Faulkner has served as the team’s running backs coach for the past five seasons, and he will take on the responsibility of talking to the media and running the offense throughout the week.
However, he will not be the in-game play caller for the team, with those responsibilities falling to Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan has previous NFL experience as an offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2013 before serving in the same role with the New York Giants from 2016 to 2017.
The decision was made with Pickett in mind, as the belief is that he and Sullivan have a strong working relationship. The hope is the collaboration between the two will allow the Steelers offense to head in the right direction for the rest of the 2023 season.
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