Tim Benz: Beyond Ben Roethlisberger, who will be most helped by new quarterback coach Matt Canada?
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Just because former Pitt Panthers offensive coordinator Matt Canada has returned to Pittsburgh doesn’t mean his offense has.
Not entirely anyway.
Now in his first year as quarterbacks coach with the Steelers, Canada spoke with members of the Pittsburgh media this week. He took great measures to reiterate his specific role with the team.
He’s the quarterbacks coach. Not a second offensive coordinator alongside Randy Fichtner.
“I am in a position to learn and assist Randy in any way I can,” Canada said Tuesday. “To assist the quarterbacks in any way and be part of the group.
“I am coming in and learning our system and what we have done here. That is my job — to just enhance whatever I can.”
Canada is coming to the NFL for the first time. And it’s on a coaching staff where an offensive coordinator is already in place. It’s also a place where a quarterback with 16 years of experience is running the huddle.
So who exactly Canada is influencing and how much that influence will be obvious to the naked eye are up for debate.
After all, Canada’s offense at Pitt — as well other stops such as N.C. State, Maryland, LSU and Wisconsin — is renowned for lots of misdirection, reverses, presnap motion and play action. Some snaps to nontraditional quarterbacks and multiple people handling the ball were also in play.
The Steelers have had to go to that well at times, particularly last season when “wildcat” quarterback looks were employed — with dramatically mixed results.
Many have hoped that with Canada around, Fichtner would at least be inclined to pick his brain about incorporating some of those aspects into the Steelers’ game plan. Especially from a play-action point of view. Football Outsiders has tracked the Steelers at the bottom of the league in play-action snaps every year since 2016.
“Obviously, play action is a big part of things we have done in the past,” Canada said of his college offenses. “We are going to certainly focus on what Ben does well and what he has always done well. However I can assist that, I will do.”
Personally, I’ve never viewed the lack of play action with the Steelers as something Roethlisberger doesn’t do well. Rather, the hang-up to me appears to be the team’s lack of sincerity in incorporating it and willingness to do it.
According to Fichtner, though, he’s willing to listen to ideas Canada may advance.
“It is more knowledge in the room,” Fichtner said last week. “It is one more opportunity to throw ideas around … (and) thoughts and things you can bring to the table every week.”
What you won’t see is Roethlisberger running by design much. With the Panthers under Canada, quarterback Nathan Peterman didn’t run a ton either. But he gained 381 yards on the ground in 2016, third on the team that season. After you subtract his 10 sacks for collegiate stat purposes, his final line was 286 yards on 62 carries.
You’d have to combine Roethlisberger’s rushing totals back to 2012 — eight seasons’ worth — to get to 381 yards.
One guy who may benefit from Canada’s presence is Diontae Johnson. The second-year receiver has shown great ability as a punt returner (second team All-Pro in 2019). He could conceivably get some of the touches on direct snaps, shovel passes and misdirection handoffs that Quadree Henderson got in 2016 at Pitt.
That season, Henderson — who was just recently released by the Steelers — had 60 rushing attempts and five touchdowns. That was opposed to 26 catches, even though he was listed as a wide receiver.
Johnson says some of those wrinkles may already be sprinkled into the 2020 Steelers playbook.
“I know it’s new stuff,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I’m still learning all of the new motions, stuff he’s brought over to us. I wouldn’t say it’s tough, but it’s something you have to put your mind to and want to learn it.
“It’s going to create ways for me to get open to make plays. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
From an actual quarterback education point of view, Canada may be most impactful teaching young backups Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges in case Roethlisberger gets hurt again. And maybe some of those college tactics he’s employed in the past will be more useful schematically for them than Roethlisberger.
It’s unclear whether Canada’s greatest asset to the Steelers will be via honing the quarterbacks’ technique, aiding in schemes or just absorbing some of Fichtner’s former quarterback coach responsibilities.
Maybe he’ll just be an extra voice in the film room or set of eyes at practice.
Even taking Roethlisberger’s absence into consideration, after the way that offense looked in 2019, the question should be asked, ”Why not?”
Any little bit of help should be embraced.