Matt Canada is Holding Back the Steelers Offense- by Sharp Football Analysis

Matt Canada is Holding Back the Steelers Offense

By Warren Sharp Oct 2, 2023

• Since 2021, the Steelers first quarter offense ranks #31 in yardage and #31 in points scored.
• Out of 26 first-half drives on the season, only ONCE did the Steelers even drive to the red zone.
• 61.1% of the Steelers’ set of downs have reached third down, the highest rate in the league.

Matt Canada became the Steelers’ play-caller in 2021.

Since 2021, NFL teams have averaged 22.4 points per game.

And since 2021, examine the Steelers win-loss split based on only one sole statistic:

Does the defense allow above-average points or below-average points?

If the defense holds their opponent to below-average points (22 or fewer), the Steelers are 19-3-1 (86%).

If the defense allows their opponent to score above-average points, (more than 22) the Steelers are 1-15 (6%).

That shift, from winning 86% to winning only 6%, is the largest in the NFL.

What does it mean?

It means this offense, for going on almost 40 games spanning 2.5 years under Canada’s watch, cannot compete with average.

For the Steelers to win games, it falls on the defense.

A good defensive performance almost always means a Steelers win.

A bad defensive performance almost always means a Steelers loss.

Steelers fans: ask yourself when was the last time the defense played poorly but the team won because the offense won the game?

You likely can’t remember one because there hasn’t been one.

In fact, looking at the team totals lined for each game, the Steelers are 1-10 (9%) when their opponent exceeds their team total.

Since Canada took over as coordinator, the Steelers are .539 and have won 20 of 38 games. That’s the 14th-best win rate.

But his offense ranks #28 in points scored, #26 in EPA, and #26 in yardage gained.

Canada doesn’t understand how to win games in the NFL.

He doesn’t understand strategy. He doesn’t realize how vital it is to jump out and seize leads, and how often aggressive offense early in games ultimately leads to victories.

Since 2021, the Steelers first quarter offense ranks #31 in yardage and #31 in points scored.

The story remains unchanged in 2023.

In first-half offense this year, the Steelers rank #29 in EPA, #28 in yards, and #25 in points scored.

Out of 26 first-half drives on the season, only ONCE did they even drive to the red zone.

That 3.8% rate (1-of-26) ranks dead last in the NFL.

Their first-half drives average the fewest plays per drive (4.3).

And that is because they average the highest rate of 3-and-outs.

An insane 15-of-26 drives (58%) have gone 3-and-out, the worst in the NFL. The NFL average is only 34%.

61.1% of the Steelers’ set of downs have reached third down, the highest rate in the league.

The league average is 47.5%.

55.4% of the Pittsburgh set of downs create a new set of downs, the lowest rate in the league.

The league average is 70.3%.

He is the three deadly sins of an NFL play-caller:


Read the rest here: https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/matt-canada-holding-back-steelers/


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I knew the numbers were bad, but seeing a statistical breakdown of the offense for the entirety of Canada's tenure with the Steelers is unbelievably bad.

 

And yet he remains…………..

As much as I like Tomlin it is time…….. He is Horrible in assembling a staff that develops players and he stinks at developing coaches.

How many of Tomlin coaches has moved up in the coaching ranks around the NFL??

Cajun

 

If we remove the TDs by defense or special team in some game like the one against the Browns this year, the Steelers have scored 22 points or more in offense in regulation time only 10 times in 38 games under Canada

So the offense was below average 28 times out of 38 games since Canada is our OC but Canada still has a job, it's criminal!

 

When you break down the numbers, his reign of terror is indefensible.

Think about this as well. Canada was the one saying that his offense isn't built to come back in games where they get behind. He says that's why it is so important to get a lead early. Yet he is the one that designs the offense and game plans for every game. He scripts plays based on his game plan and his opponent, and yet the offense has been at its worst early in games when it is based completely on Canada's preparation and play calling. How the hell can he say that getting a lead is important because the offense isn't built to come back from deficits, but they fail and are at their worst based on HIS total control early in games before defenses make adjustments?

You can't make this stuff up. He's basically calling for his own head with his own words.

 

In 2021, if Ben wouldn't have been as good as he was in the fourth quarter when he was calling the play, imagine how our numbers would have been worse on offense that year...I mean, almost half of the Steelers' points were in the fourth quarter in 2021 which was an NFL record according to this!

 

Every week we get to watch football from the 1930s. Should televise their games in black & white

 

zach Wilson can come from behind. I wish we had an offense that was built to play from 0-0 early in the 1st quarter

 

Here’s a shot from Sunday’s game…

 

I'm waiting for season ticket holders to say no more with getting tickets.

Probably why niners we're able to pack out our stadium.

 

Yep, I said it then, and I'll say it now. Even though Ben was getting older, he was the only thing keeping the Steelers in games with a possibility of winning despite Canada's bad coaching. And now without Ben and his experience and street ball ability, nothing can overcome Canada's bad play calls/designs/etc.

 

I thought I was depressed by the team's performance before I read this post. I guess I was wrong. NOW I'm depressed. I will soon be 76 years old, this team almost qualifies as elder abuse. I am usually upset that Harrisburg is Ravens turf according to the NFL, but sometimes the blackout is a welcome thing.

 

No reason to believe this week will be different. No way out of this mess. No way on earth the ship rights' itself and he saves face. Just cut ties now and suck it up. There is SO much heat for this dude to go I can't see how the offense (and team) can focus going forward.

 

I found myself this past week kind of hoping we would continue to suck so the guy would get kicked sooner. That's pathetic of me. So many issues with player performance, but the foundation of all is the OC.

 

first things first in this game. the defense better get their heads out of their arses and stop andrews and jackson. we will see what a difference a qb can make in this game. is it the scheme or is it the qb? will we see open receiver hit? will we see washington used? will we see a run game and usage of the backs out of the backfield? keeping the defense fresh will go a long way. is mitch the guy to do it?

 

I'll take them righting the ship with anyone including canada. I highly doubt this will occur and would rather anyone new because these issues have persisted for years and there was 1 person responsible for any semblance of an offense and he was deemed old and not mobile enough and now he does cookbooks, podcasts, and coaches youth football as the 4th assistant.

 

Yet the only thing we hear in the media is Canada should be gone. Who hired him and who continued to retain him? The defensive OC blows too. Both coordinators should be gone and the head coach. Since ARII won't eat a contract we have to fire Canada at the bye (can't imagine with Ravens this week and its Tuesday they fire him now), put QB coach as interim OC for remainder of year. Unfortunately we will have to endure Tomlin, a new OC in 2024 and the same DC (I would replace him to at the end of the year, but not sure on his contract, if it goes to 24 we are stuck with him). So to think of another year with the same ole **** is aggravating to say the least. The Steelers need a whole new coaching regime period full stop!!

 

Tomlin and Rooney, Rooney and Tomlin.

THERE is your problem.

 

Let's steer clear of the political commentary.

 

Everyone just wants to see the team succeed. I wanted to think that Canada learned some things from last season and that the team added more talent so of course the offense should be better, but it hasn't happened. His concepts and play calling is just sad. I would love to see him see the light and watch this offense take off. I just don't believe he is capable of it at this point.

You are right about Ben. Most seemed to think he was done, but looking back at what he was able to accomplish with so much less around him that is currently on this roster says a lot about how great he really was...even in that final season. I tried to explain to people that Ben was going around the system to take over games late and pull out victories, and that the offensive system simply wasn't good. Most just couldn't see it.

 

So missing open target mean nothing???? Not seeing open targets mean nothing.
Same Guys said same thing about Danny Dimes just needing better OC. So how many OCs does it take before He's really good???
I will say this until I'm blue in the face. If coaching was the be all end all.....why didn't Shanahan stick with Jimmy G, and then after spending 4 draft picks on Trey Lance stick with Him....instead of going with Purdy.....who just got out of having surgery????
Why didn't McVay stick with His Qb instead of trading Him away?? Why did S. Peyton give up coaching when He lost Brees???
Why isn't Brian Daboll making Danny Dimes better????
If it's all coaching.
Instead of attacking Me, or punctuation....just answer it truthfully.

 

If they were to fire Canada he would be replaced by one the other coaches on the staff and same old.

 

Instead of accusing me of attacking you, or your punctuation, or whatever it is you think I am about to do even though I have never done any of that to you.....and asking me to answer truthfully....as if I am going to lie...... Just make your point. I'll respond. That's how this works. That's pretty insulting to say to someone that has never treated you badly here.

Everything means something. Maybe Pickett is missing open receivers because they are his 5th read on a play by Canada, the first 4 reads are not open, and he doesn't have enough time to find them. Did that ever occur to someone that it happen? There are a lot of things that I can say here, but this is already going to be a long post. There is a lot of schematic garbage in Canada's system.

This has nothing to do with Danny Dimes, or Brock Purdy, or Jimmy G, or Trey Lance, or Drew Brees.

You can say whatever you want until you're blue in the face. Those were different situations in different offensive systems and they chose who they thought was the best guy. It's not that difficult.

The current Canada system has made Ben Roethlisberger look like a below average quarterback to many. He wasn't. The system sucked. Only late in games, Ben would take over the offense and they would score points and pull out games with Ben going outside the playbook. The system did none of that. It was all Ben. In 2021, the Steelers scored almost half their points in the fourth quarter. HALF! That was all Ben. All of it. There's a tweet above that addresses that if you read the earlier posts.

Rudolph couldn't do much of anything in this system.

Mitch Trubisky couldn't do anything in this system.

Kenny Pickett isn't doing anything in this system.

If Pickett really is the problem and all those other great coaches you talk about got away from a player that is a horrible player, why isn't Tomlin benching him immediately. Maybe it's Tomlin. Maybe it's Canada.

The other thing you fail to mention is that almost all the coaches you are talking about above have a proven track record somewhere. Where is Canada's track record of greatness?

I'll wait for an answer, but you can't give me one single time where Canada has shown he is great. Not......one.......single.......time in his career. Zero.

By the way, McVay got rid of Goff, now Goff is a very good quarterback in Detroit. Maybe he's playing in a system that fits his talents instead of being put in a position to play in a system that doesn't fit him. That's a coach's job to put players in a position to succeed. McVay didn't. He moved on to another quarterback and he won a super bowl, then the team imploded. Goff is on a rising power in the NFL and he is a large part of the reason they are ascending. Did you ever consider that Matt Canada is not tailoring the offense to a young player and making him do things he isn't good at? Good OC's know how to do things to get the most out of players. They don't wait for a player to elevate them...unless they can't coach.

I guess Josh Allen is just lost without Brian Daboll. Oh, that's right, he's not. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL without Daboll. Maybe Daboll is a horrible example because he isn't very good. Did you ever consider that?

Do you see what I'm saying here? Every situation is different. Just because you say it is so doesn't mean it is.

I don't have all the answers here. I also never said that Pickett isn't making mistakes. Nobody is saying that. Literally nobody. Pickett is a young player so of course he is going to make mistakes. I'm not close enough to the situation to know everything. We all piece things together, watch the tape, and try to put together the picture of what's going on and why.

I know enough about offense to have my own opinion and Canada has a track record that screams that he sucks, period.