The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the bye week with many fans still calling for offensive coordinator Matt Canada to be fired. Changes aren’t coming out of Week 6, but there are some signs of frustration in Pittsburgh right now.
Entering NFL games today, the Steelers rank in the bottom five of nearly every offensive statistic. Perhaps even more concerning, Pittsburgh is averaging the fewest red-zone trips per game (1.4) and ranks 24th in third-down conversion rate (37 percent).
- Pittsburgh Steelers offense stats 2023: 15.8 PPG (29th in NFL), 268.2 total yards per game (30th in NFL), 4.5 yards per play (26th in NFL)
The pressure was on Steelers’ offensive coordinator Matt Canada entering Week 5. While Pittsburgh came out with a win over the Baltimore Ravens, the offense had little to do with it. In the 17-10 victory, pushing Pittsburgh to 3-2, the offense finished with just 289 total yards and went 0-for-2 in the red zone.
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It’s led to mounting frustration for players and fans. While Tomlin has supported the right of the fan base to boo Canada, which happened again in Week 5, the calls for a change at play-caller haven’t been met.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Steelers have no plans to fire Canada. Not only that, Tomlin isn’t inclined to make a change at play-caller. Team sources reported that if Pittsburgh was ever going to make a change, it would’ve happened during the Week 6 bye.
However, the offensive woes were addressed by the team during the bye week. According to Russini, the club held a meeting this week to go over the issues that have plagued them on the field this season. While there’s confidence heading into Week 7, the focus will be on the offensive line and how the skill group performs with Diontae Johnson returning.
As for the 2023 NFL trade deadline on Oct. 31, there’s been very little buzz surrounding the Steelers. Pittsburgh obviously won’t be a seller given its standing in the division, but the number of holes on the roster means it will likely be a quiet deadline for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers’ decision to move forward with Canada isn’t surprising based on the organization’s history. Pittsburgh rarely makes in-season coaching changes and with no intense pressure on his job, Tomlin can afford to stick by one of his top assistants for the remainder of the season.
There is some hope for the Steelers’ offense moving forward. In his last three games, quarterback Kenny Pickett posted an 87.1 QB rating with a 3-1 TD-INT ratio and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt. With Johnson and tight end Pat Freiermuth nearing returns, Pickett will have two trusted offensive weapons back on the field with him for the rest of the year.