Steelers face potentially dark reality if Matt Canada doesn’t pan out

Despite retaining his services for another year, the Pittsburgh Steelers are treading dangerous waters between mediocrity and success under an already stagnant offensive coordinator. 

A 7-2 record to close out the 2022 regular season looks good on paper to the average Steelers fan, but take a deeper investigative dive into the statistics, you’ll quickly realize the records do not reflect reality. According to ESPN, the Steelers were the 23rd best (10th worst) in total yards per game (322.6). 24th best (9th worst) in 200.6 passing yards per game. And 26th best (7th Fewest) in points per game (18.1). Clearly, no matter what transpired in the 2nd half of the season, this does not meet the standard set in place. In fact, far from it.

But perhaps on a brighter note, Pittsburgh was in the top half (16th best) for rushing yards per game (121.9). Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren led the way in 1,034 and 379 rushing yards respectively. According to Lineups, the Steelers were 14th best in rushing TDs and 10th best in rushing attempts.

Some good, and some bad, but overall a mixed bag for Steelers

A running game can only mask so many of the flaws within an NFL offense, no matter how successful you were at pounding the rock. The red zone was certainly not the Steelers friend in 2022. 16th in red zone attempts and 17th in red zone touchdowns are nowhere near good enough if you want to beat the best teams in the AFC. This was a wildly inconsistent offensive unit, to say at least.

What’s even odder, Pittsburgh surprisingly was 15th best on 1st downs (345), 7th best on 3rd downs (44.9), 3rd best on 4th downs (73.3), and 4th best In turnovers (18). These exact statistics came to fruition most especially down the stretch. If the Steelers aim to take the next step offensively, this data will be crucial in making that happen.

We’re 2 years into the Matt Canada experiment, and there is nothing that truly indicates a significant turnaround under this offense. Via StatMuse, Pittsburgh had the 9th Worst offense in the entire NFL last season. And in 2021, it was a stagnant 10th Worst as well. How does this signal any level of optimism?

Kenny Pickett is your future quarterback in the Steel City, albeit not taking over the reins from Mitch Trubisky until Week 4. George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Calvin Austin III, Connor Heyward, and Pat Friermuth make up a rock-solid core of skill players, but expect another WR to be added either through Free Agency or the NFL Draft.

James Daniels and Mason Cole combined to form a good foundation in the trenches, but much work remains needed to shore up an offensive line worthy of elite status. Dan Moore Jr, Chuks Okorafor, and Kevin Dotson are players that can be easily replaced in building better overall protection in front of Pickett.

A bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.

Mike Tomlin rolled the dice big time by deciding to keep Matt Canada around, but that decision could cost Tomlin comfortable job security if craps hits the fan in the fall. It’s one of those choices that will either make or break the Steelers entire upcoming season since it holds such a strong influence on the future of the franchise.

As the line goes: Hope for the best but Prepare for the Worst. I’m pretty sure this sums up how most Steelers fans are feeling going into 2023. Hopeful, but all the more Pessimistic.