Steelers’ Matt Canada calls plays from sideline rather than coaches’ box vs. Titans
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Matt Canada’s view of the action has changed. Margially better results for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense followed.
Canada, the Steelers’ embattled offensive coordinator, was on the sideline for Thursday night’s home game against the Tennessee Titans. That was newsworthy because over his 2½ seasons calling the Steelers’ plays, he had taken in games from a coaches’ booth on the press box level.
The Steelers totaled the second-most offensive yards (326) and third-most offensive points (20) in a game this season.
“We’re making moves with the intention of being better,” coach Mike Tomlin said when asked why Canada’s vantage point was moved, “so we’ll see as we move forward.”
The Steelers scored a touchdown on their first possession Thursday, matching their production for the first quarters of their first seven games of the season combined. Through seven games headed into Thursday, the Steelers ranked 30th among the 32 NFL teams in yards (271.1 per game). Though they ranked 29th in points (16.1 per game), when accounting for two defensive touchdowns, the Steelers’ offense had produced just 14.1 points per game with nine offensive touchdowns in its seven prior games.
Canada, 51, joined the Steelers’ staff as quarterbacks coach in 2020. It was his first NFL job after 25 years of coaching in the college game, including 14 as a coordinator (in 2016 for Pitt).
With the offensive struggles, chants of “Fire Canada” had been heard regularly during Steelers home games. Notably — coincidence or not — no such chants were obviously audible Thursday.
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