“Super Bowl!”

That was how I replied to a couple of texts on Tuesday. I replied to a few others by saying, “Woohoo!” and “Yeah, baby!” Me being me, I was obviously being sarcastic, but the folks who were reaching out to me over the surprising news that the Steelers had relieved offensive coordinator Matt Canada of his duties were not.

They were being sincere.

Those folks sure were happy. I’m not just talking about my friends and family, either. Lots of people were overjoyed in Steeler Nation, in fact. And while I can’t confirm that many fans danced in the streets, I’m almost positive that this happened in at least a few places around the globe on Tuesday.

I remember where I was shortly after that disastrous loss to the Broncos on Wildcard Weekend following the 2011 season (the Tebow game) when word surfaced that Pittsburgh had “retired” offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. I recall that day because of how people celebrated the news; it was similar to how they reveled in the announcement of Canada’s dismissal on Tuesday morning. I actually attended the Steelers’ 2009 regular-season opener at Heinz Field. Even though the team was coming off of a victory in Super Bowl XLIII, “This is why I bleeping hate Arians!” was how some fan in my section responded to the first offensive series since Ben found Ten many months prior. The fans were obviously starting to sour on Arians by that point, and it would only get worse from there.

I remember exactly where I was when Mike Tomlin announced that Todd Haley would no longer be the Steelers’ offensive coordinator. It was in January of 2018, and the Steelers had just lost at home to Jacksonville in the divisional round of the 2017 playoffs. “Haley needs to go!” was a popular refrain from the Steelers faithful in those days. It didn’t matter that the offense finished third in total yards and had averaged 25.4 points per game in 2017; the fans wanted Haley gone in a bad way.

I recall where I was in January of 2021 when the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner following a disappointing wildcard loss to the Browns at Heinz Field shortly after the 2020 regular season. The fans laughed and wept. They cried and danced. They may have even performed “The Jet Sweep” at various nightclubs. Why? Because Matt Canada and his sweeps and motion were being promoted to offensive coordinator after one season as the quarterbacks coach/secret offensive coordinator. Now, to be fair to Fichtner, his offense was a bit hamstrung, starting in Year 2 when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury very early in the 2019 campaign. The following season saw the return of Roethlisberger, but the scars remained from the 18.1 points per game the offense averaged with Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges at quarterback the year before. The fans woke up every morning asking if Fichtner had been fired yet. It didn’t matter that the offense averaged 26 points per game in 2020. Everyone could clearly see that it had been exposed by mid-season due to Roethlisberger’s age and the deterioration of a once-great offensive line; it certainly wasn’t averaging 26 points per game by season’s end.

Now, to be fair to the Steelers fans who literally spent Canada’s entire reign wanting him relieved of his job, he gave them nothing in 44 games. There were no 400-yard box scores. The offense scored 30 points or more twice–including zero times through 10 games of the ongoing 2023 campaign. Speaking of the 2023 unit, it is averaging 15 points per game if you take away two defensive touchdowns and a safety.

That’s horrible. There is no question Canada had to go, and the fact that his dismissal occurred during the regular season was telling. Why? It was the first time the organization had done such a thing since 1941.

Anyway, while Tuesday’s widespread celebration in Steeler Nation was similar to the ones that occurred following the dismissals of Arians, Haley and Fichtner, it also felt a little different. It really did seem like the fans were celebrating a Super Bowl victory.

That’s a little pathetic when you think about it, but I get it. The Steelers have been serving their fans a stale product over the past four-plus seasons. Acrisure Stadium isn’t filled to capacity on a regular basis anymore, and when it is, the fans aren’t all decked out in black and gold.

The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since January of 2017–or four offensive coordinators and one play-caller ago. If you’re puzzled by the math, it’s because I added interim OC Eddie Faulkner and interim play-caller Mike Sullivan to the equation.

Will Faulkner and Sullivan make a difference? The fans sure seem to think so, and I sure as heck hope they’re right.

After all, it’s kind of sad that the firing of an OC is the most exciting thing to happen to Steelers fans in quite a long time.