The Pittsburgh Steelers have done the unimaginable. They relieved OC Matt Canada of his duties. In other words, they terminated him. But here’s the biggie, they made the move in season. That’s never happened before in my lifetime.

I have been reminded countless times over the past couple of weeks, ever since the bye week actually, about how the Steelers handle their business. We were stuck with Canada until the end of the season, and his contract was fulfilled, whether we liked it or not. However, I woke up on Tuesday to the glorious news of Canada’s termination.

My wife was the first to send me a text, but I had to confirm the report before celebrating to make sure it was official, because of how out of character that move was for the franchise. Once I had confirmation, I was trapped with in a range of emotions.

I was happy for the offensive personnel on the roster, who had been forced to try and execute an inadequate gameplan and play calling each week during Canada’s tenure. I was encouraged that we the faithful fanbase could potentially see a more effective and entertaining offense on the field moving forward. I was both angry and frustrated by the reality of the length of Canada’s employment. I have never witnessed a more incompetent OC at the NFL level, and his putrid resume speaks for itself.

I never want to see anyone lose their job, but this move was definitely warranted. Canada should have never been hired in the first place, as he lacked NFL level capabilities. I feel safe to say that the man will never receive future consideration for NFL employment.

Now that the nightmare is over, true healing can begin. However, we will also receive a realistic revelation of the damage that Canada’s prescence has done. No individual was more negatively impacted than Kenny Pickett.

In all honesty, Pickett is a mess. He has devolved into a one read QB, who is struggling mightily to make accurate presnap reads and adjustments, and in his decisions and progressions post snap. His confidence is waning, and he appears confused and unsure, more often than not. Quite frankly, Pickett appears to be playing scared. Scared to make a mistake; or deviate from the plan, and play instinctual football. Heaven forbid he ever suffers a turnover.

I hate to admit it, but this seems like more of Tomlin’s “playing not to lose” mindset, which is grounded in mediocrity. Low risk usually results in low reward. Zero risk results in…..what we have witnessed this season. If you are going to go down, at least go down guns ablazing. Only cowards hide behind the women and children. The standard is the standard, and I absolutely hate this new standard. The Steelers organization is better than the standard being set currently.

Improvements must be demanded, or more substantial changes will be necessary.

Now it’s time for some more of my random thoughts and observations on the Steelers.

• I would advise the fan base to temper their offensive expectations for the remainder of the season. It is too late in the season to totally overhaul the offense, or expect drastic changes. Focus instead on small sustainable improvements. More fluidity to the game plan. Improved calculated risk play calling. The ability to make quicker in-game adjustments. Better communication, cohesion, and execution from the personnel on the field. Improved body language and more consistent efforts. These attributes will usually be visible prior to any offensive improvement. The ultimate precursor if you will.
• I heard Markus Spears mention on a telecast that the Steelers really don’t know what they have in Kenny Pickett because of the circumstances he was forced to operate under. I couldn’t agree more. Kenny Pickett appears to have some NFL caliber qualities, and some that are borderline at best. He is nowhere near gifted enough to overcome the deficient gameplans and play calling of an incompetent offensive coordinator. That’s like asking the pace car to compete in a Nascar race, and then wondering why your race team isn’t competitive.
• Jaylen Warren is the Big E for the Steelers offense. He is their most effective and efficient performer. He is also easily their most explosive weapon. As I mentioned in my Steelers Stock Report article this week, the fact that he only received a single touch in the fourth quarter against the Browns was definitely a fireable offence. Hopefully the individual who made that decision was the aforementioned and former employee Matt Canada. One quick and easy way to improve the offense is to make sure your best players are on the field in the biggest moments. It’s not rocket science, people.
• Speaking of Jaylen “Mighty Mouse” Warren, it was just announced that he has been voted the FedEx NFL Ground Player of the Week for his dominant performance in Week 11. Imagine what he could have done with additional touches in the fourth quarter. Hopefully this recognition comes with some financial compensation, because the NFL has already screwed him out of a couple of paychecks this season with their bogus fines.
• Seeing how I already waxed poetically about Elandon Roberts in my Steelers Stock Report article, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the above the line performance of Mykal Walker Sunday. I wonder if the majority of the fanbase truly comprehends how special that type of performance actually was. New team, new scheme, and new responsibilities. The most impressive part of Walker’s performance in my opinion was his communication. Those skills were quickly apparent, with Walker emphatically directing traffic during his first live action with the team. That was an extraordinary effort by Walker, and it speaks volumes about his athleticism, preparedness, and football IQ. Excellent midseason acquisition by Omar Khan.
• Speaking of recent acquisitions, the Steelers are loading up on experienced inside linebackers after losing both Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander for the season in back-to-back weeks. The Steelers signed Myles Jack to a contract in the past few days, after he was released by the Philadelphia Eagles. The move makes sense, considering that Jack was a starter for the Steelers in 2022. Truthfully, Jack is no longer a viable starter, but he offers real value as experienced depth. That brings us to the Steelers latest acquisition, Blake Martinez. The Steelers poached Martinez off the Carolina Panthers practice squad. Martinez provides the Steelers proven depth with starting experience. But the Steelers may not be done at the position quite yet.
• The Indianapolis Colts released Shaquille Darius Leonard this week, in a surprising personnel decision. Leonard is a Pro Bowl caliber player, when healthy. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to stay healthy for long in recent seasons. He had two back surgeries last year, trying to alleviate nerve damage issues in his lower body, which has negatively impacted his explosiveness. The Steelers are being mentioned as a favorite to acquire Leonard, considering their possible need at the position. Nobody should forget that Jack was retired to start the offseason, and never saw the field for the Eagles after unretiring.

I want to wish our faithful SCN community a Happy Thanksgiving? Good food, great fellowship, and cherished memories.