3 Steelers to blame for not firing Matt Canada even sooner
The Pittsburgh Steelers took far too long to fire Matt Canada, as Sunday's effort against the Cincinnati Bengals shows.
By Mark Powell
In their first game without Matt Canada as offensive coordinator in quite some time, the Steelers offense alongside Kenny Pickett looked...remarkably decent?
Pittsburgh neared the 400-yard mark for the first time in 58 games at the beginning of the fourth quarter. It's the second-longest streak in recent NFL history behind the early-2000's Oakland Raiders.
Pickett finally threw to the middle of the field, rather than ignoring Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers weapons appeared frequently, and were utilized as often as they should be. This included Jaylen Warren and George Pickens, who made big plays early and often in Cincinnati.
Whether the Steelers won or lost against the Bengals, there was plenty for Pittsburgh fans to look forward to thanks to Mike Sullivan's play calling. Yet, one can't help but wonder what took so long? That's where we come in.
Steelers to blame for Matt Canada's empowerment: Kevin Colbert
While Omar Khan has been the Steelers general manager for the last year or so, he cannot be faulted for failing to make a major decision early in his tenure. It was longtime Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert who initially hired Canada as offensive coordinator, and who stuck with him despite the team's failures on that side of the football.
Colbert and Mike Tomlin are averse to change, which is why it took until after a Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns to make a decision on Canada's future. Pittsburgh's offense has been historically bad for some time, however, as the stat above shows. Something had to change, yet Pittsburgh did nothing.
Pickett looked fantastic in his first game without Canada. Sullivan called a fantastic game, and has done so before as a former NFL OC. What took so long, especially considering the backup plans in place?