'All for it,' Steelers fans praise Matt Canada firing

Steelers Nation was elated by Tuesday morning’s news that the struggling team fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

“I don’t think he should have had the job in the first place,” said Billy Raught, 58, of Lower Burrell. “He wasn’t qualified.”

Raught said he thinks the Steelers are worthy of a coordinator with NFL experience and a history of success calling plays.

“He was fired after one season at LSU and he hasn’t done well since he got to Pittsburgh, so this is a good move,” Raught said. “But we need to go after somebody with experience to help this team.”

Running backs coach Eddie Faulker will take over the title of offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will call the plays on game day, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Raught said Kenny Pickett has demonstrated talent as a quarterback, so he would like to see how he fares under a new offensive coordinator.

“I think you have to leave him in there and see if he can succeed under a different (offensive coordinator),” he said.

Canada was in his third season as offensive coordinator for the Steelers. Prior to joining the team, he spent 25 seasons coaching college football.

The Steelers rank 28^th in the 32-team NFL in both yardage (280.1 per game) and scoring (16.6 points per game). In any of Canada’s three seasons, the highest the Steelers ranked in points or yards was 20^th — in points in 2021.

Anthony Luft, 52, of Scottdale and Jeff Sylba, 70, of Penn Hills, were among Steelers fans at Hempfield’s Live Casino Pittsburgh who think Pickett’s future with the Steelers is promising now that Canada is out of the picture.

“I think he’s going to be great once they get him comfortable,” Sylba said of Pickett. “He wasn’t comfortable with what Canada was trying to do.”

Sylba said he thinks the Steelers will do better if they focus more on their running game.

“Let Jaylen Warren run the ball more and, when he needs a break, then let Najee Harris run the play,” he said.

Luft believes the offensive line is key to improving Pickett’s performance.

“I think he has to grow into himself,” he said. “I think if he gets more protection from the offensive line, he’ll make better plays.”

Given the Steelers’ poor offensive showing, Luft said, it was time to say so long to Canada.

“It doesn’t matter what coach it is,” he said. “If you’re not doing your part, you’re going to get fired. Somebody has to pay the price.

“I think, with the calls he was making, we can utilize our players better.”

Vinnie Somma, 31, of Plum said the decision to dismiss Canada was “a long time coming — maybe too long.”

“They shouldn’t have waited,” he said. “I think it’s the right move.”

Related:

• Steelers fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada
• Madden: The scapegoat is gone, but will that make Pickett play better?
• Tomlin only focused on short-term results at QB
• Unlike continuity at head coach, Steelers have checkered history with offensive coordinators
• Eddie Faulkner, Mike Sullivan to share OC responsibilities

The Steelers are 6-4 this year, even with one of the worst-ranked offenses in the NFL.

While decisions about whether to stick with Pickett are left to the coaching staff, Somma thinks it is important for the Steelers management to keep Tomlin at the helm.

“The players love him,” Somma said. “I’ve trained some of the players’ dogs and they talk about him like he’s a father figure. I think that connection is important for them.”

Somma is the owner of Say-It-Once Dog Training.

How Canada’s play-calling affected Pickett’s development also was a concern cited by Gary Dilts of Indiana, Pa., a fan for 30 years. He said he hopes Pickett can overcome it.

“Nothing was changing with the offense,” said Dilts inside Yinzers in the Burgh in the Strip District. “We see the same things every game. Our offense was so predictable. He just wasn’t getting it done.”

The final straw was losing to a third-string quarterback in Cleveland, Dilts said.

“We needed a change,” he said. “I never like to see anyone get fired, but this needed to be done.”

Randy Bauer, 48, of Unity thinks the Steelers waited too long to show Canada the door.

“He shouldn’t have been there this year,” Bauer said.

Bauer said he’d also like to see the Steelers remove Pickett as quarterback and do more to develop the passing game.

“They need to start over new,” he said. “I don’t think they have the guy that can make throws. They need a quarterback who can be aggressive.”

Tim Shaddix, 60, of Lower Burrell said Canada failed to recognize players’ strengths and weaknesses.

“You have to use the skills the players have, not try to make them adapt to what you think they should be doing,” he said. “I’ll be happy to see how we do under somebody else.”

Rosemarie Brelita of Lower Burrell was blunt in her assessment of Canada’s performance and the decision to dismiss him.

“I’m all for it,” she said. “I don’t think he did the job. I’m hoping this shakes things up and they start winning. And as far as Pickett, they ought to think about benching him.”

Jesse Seager of Point Breeze, who sat inside La Prima Espresso Co. in the Strip District, agreed. His son called him with the news Tuesday morning.

“I am very happy,” Dilts said. “Now they need to go up the ladder. Mike Tomlin is a Hall of Fame coach and is a good defensive coach but the offensive side of the ball is passing him by.”

Seager said it’s tough to make a change in the middle of the season but the Steelers couldn’t wait any longer.

Standing across from Seager inside La Prima was Doug Croft of Troy Hill. It was time, Croft said.

“This is part of the culture of football,” he said. “I am sure Matt Canada wasn’t surprised. This needed to happen. What took so long?”

Staff writers JoAnne Klimovich Harrop and Jeff Himler contributed to this report.