Saunders: Can’t Blame Matt Canada for This One

PITTSBURGH — I was ready to write a column saying that Matt Canada was not aggressive enough with his playcalling script to start the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it a point of emphasis this preseason that the Steelers did not have the luxury of warming up to games.

He was aggressive at every turn on Sunday, choosing to take the ball after the opening kickoff, going for it on fourth down and even making a questionably aggressive challenge in the first half after a T.J. Watt strip sack.

It did not feel to me that the offensive lived up to that level of aggression. The team’s first two plays in the script were a short passing concept that got five yards and a pop pass to Calvin Austin III that was sunk by a badly missed Pat Freiermuth block. Then Kenny Pickett couldn’t find the open man on third and medium and took a huge sack.

Why take the ball to do that?

The second drive saw an off-tackle handoff and a wide receiver screen on first and second down, setting up another 3rd and 5. Pickett made a poor decision, a worse through, Diontae Johnson slipped and the ball was intercepted.

The third drive had the Steelers start with a left-rolling bootleg they run all the time, that was well covered and went for two yards, and Najee Harris up the middle for zero. Another third and long, another bad Pickett pass, and another three and out.

I didn’t see a single concept there that was designed to gain chunks of yardage called on first or second down. It looked very much like an offense that was trying to warm up to the game — the thing that Tomlin said they couldn’t do.

And then I looked at Kyle Shanahan’s script. Shanahan is widely acknowledged as one of the best offensive minds in all of football. Obviously, we can’t criticize what he did.

Short passing concept.
Wide receiver run.
Handoff up the middle.
Tight end in the flat.
Outside handoff.
Inside handoff.
10-yard in route where the CB fell down.

Touchdown.

Yes, Shanahan is brilliant. But there’s no particular brilliance to this playcalling sequence. It’s basically the same stuff Canada called.

The 49ers executed and the Steelers didn’t. George Kittle hit a block Pat Freiermuth missed. Christian McCaffrey broke a tackle that Najee Harris didn’t. Brock Purdy made reads and throws that Kenny Pickett didn’t.

I’d like Canada to be more aggressive on first and second down. But aggressive didn’t work very well, either, when he tried it later. Pickett didn’t find open receivers and missed the ones that he did find over and over again. 

This is the throw short of the sticks that everyone hates, but at least it has a prayer. 10-yard loss on the sack instead. Then a bad punt.

First, O & ST put D in bad spot. Then they exchanged the favor for eight drives. pic.twitter.com/RcinYx9KvX

— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) September 11, 2023

No all-22 yet, but here's my initial review of Kenny Pickett on #Steelers' third down pass plays vs the #49ers in the first half. This is 5/7 passing plays called on 3rd down. Only one was converted, and off a DPI.

Main thing I'm seeing is his eyes weren't moving enough.

📽️🧵:

— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) September 11, 2023

At some point, the players on the field have to make the plays. Canada has not been a success as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, but you can’t blame him for what happened on Sunday.