Matt Canada: Don’t Expect Steelers to Expand Offensive Playbook

PITTSBURGH — If you’re hoping for big changes to the Pittsburgh Steelers offense down the stretch run, you can probably stop holding your breath.

The Steelers have been making incremental improvements throughout the second half of the 2022 season, with an improved running game and more efficient from rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.

There are certainly more shortcomings to overcome. The Steelers are 26th in yards per game, 24th in passing yards per game, 16th in rushing yards per game and 27th in scoring.

Though Pickett has increased his passer rating in five consecutive starts, his season-long 75.1 rating is 31st in the league, right behind Davis Mills, who has been benched, and just ahead of Baker Mayfield, who was benched twice and then cut.

With his steady progression, though, some have wondered if Pickett is ready to unlock more from an offensive playbook that has been criticized as over simplistic by several analysts and predictable by more than one of the Steelers’ opponents.

The answer to that question?

“Probably not what you want to hear,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said on Thursday. “But not much.”

Canada said that despite improve play from the offense, the playbook won’t be expanding much in general as the team enters the stretch run of the season.

“We’ve had a lot in,” Canada said. “You want an identity, right? We’re fighting to get that and we’re young. Maybe you don’t see that as well if you’re not inside the building and understand where we are.”

He did say that the Steelers have and will continue to fine-tune things week-to-week based on the defense of the opponent.

“Each week, you try to find those matchups, but I don’t think there’s been a dramatic increase at all in what we’re doing,” Canada said.

It seems the best hope for the Steelers offense is to continue their incremental improvement.

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