Still Curtain
FanSided

Steelers News: Matt Canada will bring innovation to the offense

By Jake Bendrick

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Pittsburgh Steelers offense lines up against the San Francisco 49ers defense late in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Pittsburgh Steelers offense lines up against the San Francisco 49ers defense late in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 30: Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on December 30, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 30: Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on December 30, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

How can Matt Canada help the Steelers’ offense?

First of all, it is not easy to simply find piles of the Steelers’ all-22 game film laying around, so I had to dig quite a bit to find numerous examples of the pre-snap routine in Fichtner’s offense. After working at it, I was able to cobble together enough examples to say with confidence that with or without Roethlisberger, there is not a tremendous amount of pre-snap activity that would give a QB or offensive coordinator quick intel as to what the defense is doing.

Enter Canada. I mean Matt Canada, not the country. I can see no good reason to enter the country. But I’m getting off track. There is all-22 video available for teams that Canada led in college as an offensive coordinator and I looked at a lot of it. Here’s a breakdown of what I found.

Pre-snap motion in Canada’s offenses served multiple purposes.

  • Often, Canada would start a game, a half, or an offensive series with multiple shifts from one set, both with wide receivers and backs, as well as tight ends. Everyone moved, and often, multiple times.
  • The shifts revealed multiple defensive tendencies that allowed offensive coaches to understand how different looks could influence play outcomes as the game wore on.
  • Tight ends and fullbacks or h-backs often shifted into unbalanced looks, only to shift back to balanced looks before the snap.
  • Wide receivers shifted enough to indicate man or zone coverage pre-snap, not to mention the safeties’ intent.
  • Canada’s offense, with one play, could show how the defense would be vulnerable both to run and pass plays.
Home/Steelers News