Matt Canada

[Rotorhead]

Does this guy know what a pick play is? We rarely get a glimpse of the WR trees during the game, but tonight they zoomed out a couple time and NOBODY was open. Can we get an OC that can scheme some open WR’s? How about a run that goes off tackle, or a sweep with the RB (instead of the WRs) when the defense is stuffing the everything between the tackles. This isn’t college with WRs that are NFL level playing against DBs that won’t make it. Wishing for Haley is a sad situation.

[hawaiiansteeler]

https://c.tenor.com/BzZ9CwmlnQYAAAAC/blame-canada-south-park.gif

[86WARD]

I’m not understanding some of the thought behind the play call and the blocking schemes. On several occasions, the jet sweep went with one or no blockers in front leaving the runner to face 3-4 tacklers. On the screen to DJ, one blocker versus 3-4 blockers. They are trying to get the ball to playmakers yet the only blocker they have put there is Freiermuth. It’s either the play design is poor, execution is extremely poor or the play is so obvious that, again, the design is poor in that nothing is being disguised.

Keeping running up the middle on third and short when the O-Line, clearly, is getting no push. If there was an offensive line here...Harris would be dangerous!

[Fire Goodell]

I'm willing to be patient with this offense but this week wasn't their best showing. Statistically the bears are terrible against the run, and were without Khalil Mack. Result? 2.6 yards per carry and Ben didn't even have time for a 3 step drop on a lot of plays.

[DesertSteel]

That first drive gave me so much hope but then it reverted back to the pathetic offense that we’ve come to know. I have no patience for Canada. Fire him.

[teegre]

There was a play (on third-&-5ish) where all four receivers ran short curl routes right at/just beyond the LOS. Canada did the defense a favor by collapsing the field to just five yards. Three rushing, five playing short zones, and three safeties playing ten-yards deep. Ben had plenty of time… but… had to scramble just to find a good angle to attempt a pass (because each receiver seemed to be double covered).

This is the type of thing that validates DesertSteel’s hashtag.

[Mojouw]

There was a play (on third-&-5ish) where all four receivers ran short curl routes right at/just beyond the LOS. Canada did the defense a favor by collapsing the field to just five yards. Three rushing, five playing short zones, and three safeties playing ten-yards deep. Ben had plenty of time… but… had to scramble just to find a good angle to attempt a pass (because each receiver seemed to be double covered).

This is the type of thing that validates DesertSteel’s hashtag.

True...BUT...my question is why? In all of his previous stops, that wasn't his style. Heck, even Wisc threw diwbfield when he was here. But those routes were the entire 2020 Steelers offense. That takes me back to the QB and the offensive line.

Canada may be hamstrung in what he feels comfortable calling. His lack of clever ideas is troubling. It earned Fichtner a ticket out of town.

My theory is that Canada gets 2022 to install his stuff. Then if it still sucks, he's gone as well.

I think the Steelers view this as a transition year. Colbert mumbled something about taking time to get new style guys in house on offense. All that remains to swap out is the QB.

[Steeler-in-west]

Offense is Ben ball version 2021 with some of Najees running in there.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Think we need to use a more TE set since we have some good ones now

[86WARD]

There was a play (on third-&-5ish) where all four receivers ran short curl routes right at/just beyond the LOS. Canada did the defense a favor by collapsing the field to just five yards. Three rushing, five playing short zones, and three safeties playing ten-yards deep. Ben had plenty of time… but… had to scramble just to find a good angle to attempt a pass (because each receiver seemed to be double covered).

This is the type of thing that validates DesertSteel’s hashtag.

That further supports my theory that some of these plays just aren’t designed very well. We saw it last season and we see carryover this season...very high school-sequel when it comes to some of these play designs and some worse...

[teegre]

That further supports my theory that some of these plays just aren’t designed very well. We saw it last season and we see carryover this season...very high school-sequel when it comes to some of these play designs and some worse...

Indeed

@mojoUW I get what you are saying: “Is this play a result of Ben not being as effective throwing the ball downfield?” While it may be true (that Ben isn’t nearly as good throwing deep as he used to be) the design of this play is simply abysmal.

On second down, maaaybe. Because then the receivers could threaten to sprint downfield, only to suddenly stop and curl. In that case, the defenders miiight have run a little deeper, leaving one of the curl routes open. But, as it was, eight defenders were able to smother the goal-to-gain.

[Mojouw]

Indeed

@mojoUW I get what you are saying: “Is this play a result of Ben not being as effective throwing the ball downfield?” While it may be true (that Ben isn’t nearly as good throwing deep as he used to be) the design of this play is simply abysmal.

On second down, maaaybe. Because then the receivers could threaten to sprint downfield, only to suddenly stop and curl. In that case, the defenders miiight have run a little deeper, leaving one of the curl routes open. But, as it was, eight defenders were able to smother the goal-to-gain.

Yup. And that's the same lack of ideas that got Fichtner fired.

I find it suspicious that two OCs in a row only had the same bad ideas. One of those OCs had a year headstart knowing what he was getting into.

I figure that what we see on gamedays is what worked in practice or what Canada is confident they can execute.

However, if there isn't a whole ream of playbook that's just pushed off to the side because they can't run it for a reason, whatever that may be (you can easily guess what I think it is), then Canada needs to go. Because if this is all he's got...then uggghhhh.

[Rotorhead]

Honestly, I would like to see more PF to help with blocking and much less empty backfield. If we are going to run the short passing game, we need pick routes to get a guy open. If we are going to run the WR screen, get some damn blockers in front of him. Please run outside the tackles more often, especially when we are getting stuffed up the middle. Stretch the defense out on a few plays and that should open up the middle of the field.

[86WARD]

Dude is terrible…

[teegre]

3rd-&-goal from the 5

Not one touch by Najee. Not one. :frusty:

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

3rd-&-goal from the 5

Not one touch by Najee. Not one. :frusty: Yep mind boggling.

[Fire Goodell]

3rd-&-goal from the 5

Not one touch by Najee. Not one. :frusty:

That is inexcusable. You have a RB who's running hard and a backup QB in the game. I was willing to give Canada a fair shot but he's wearing on my patience now

[teegre]

Yep mind boggling.

Yep :nod:

[BlackAndGold]

Every coach that coaches an offensive position could be replaced and I would not complain.

[teegre]

That is inexcusable. You have a RB who's running hard and a backup QB in the game. I was willing to give Canada a fair shot but he's wearing on my patience now

Double yep :nod: :nod:

[86WARD]

So we’ve seen Rudolph throw short in 2019. We’ve seen Ben throwing short in 2020. We’ve seen Ben throw short at the start of 2021. Now we’ve seen Rudolph throwing short in 2021. We’ve seen deep balls thrown to receivers who are blanketed by Ben. We saw deep throws to receivers who were blanketed by Rudolph.

[The Bark]

THIS was mind boggling: Mason throwing 50 pass attempts in not the best playing conditions, Harris rushing over 100 yards on just 24 attempts. That one needs some explanation. Harris probably wasn't much behind in yards per carry to Mason's yards per completion. That weather was made for the running game and Detroit, well, took the ball and ran with it. I guess if there was one game to skip on the schedule for the fans, it was this. The stadium looked maybe 60-65% full with a large number of Detroit fans there - most of any opposing team from the games I've attended over the last 15 years which is maybe about 10.

[teegre]

THIS was mind boggling: Mason throwing 50 pass attempts in not the best playing conditions, Harris rushing over 100 yards on just 24 attempts. That one needs some explanation. Harris probably wasn't much behind in yards per carry to Mason's yards per completion. That weather was made for the running game

Triple yep :nod: :nod: :nod:

[Dwinsgames]

in the mud and the muck owning a Bell cow and not using him as such is beyond stupid ....

why was Mooth so under utilized? with a young inexperienced QB the TE should have seen 10 or more targets .........

where are the wheel routes ?

where is the off tackle runs ?

why did it take so long on def to buckle down the hatches on the run game when it was clear to most all of the free world that Goff had little intentions of throwing the ball and we was getting gashed in the run game ...

after all these weeks why do we still have so many question marks and so few answers ????

[Mojouw]

Look. Matt Canada likely sucks. And so did Fichtner. Fine. But there is no playcalling magic sauce that can make-up for the fact that the offensive line is so far below the mark, I am not sure they can see it. Despite all the tough talk from Klemm and the rah-rah crap from the players; they do not win at the point of attack and the extent of their nasty seems to be Green flying in to block guys after the RB is on the ground. Dan Moore Jr is a great story and has potential for the future....but he is getting worked over pretty good by mediocre DEs at this point. Turner and Dotson are so great that no one noticed when Haeg and some other random back-up I couldn't identify ended up playing massive parts of the game. When you can swap out both your starting guards with a reserve OT and (Hausssenhaur? - Who never even started in college BTW) some guy AND no one notices a difference...either you have the best back-up OL in the league or your starting unit isn't really that good. I know which one I think it is.

QB play? Was there one? Has there been one? The best you can say about whoever is playing QB for the Steelers in 2021 is that they make the right read. After that? Not much. I am not certain a juggs machine on random wouldn't put up similar numbers.

Again, this is not saying that Canada is any good. He clearly doesn't have answers. But...the team has burned through 2 coordinators now. And the fan base has the exact same complaints. So...either Canada was around the team for a year+, saw what was working, what wasn't working, and what got Fichtner fired....and decided to do the SAME thing...OR... whatever this team calls an offense is all that the coaching staff feels comfortable asking the OL and QB to do.

[Dwinsgames]

Look. Matt Canada likely sucks. And so did Fichtner. Fine. But there is no playcalling magic sauce that can make-up for the fact that the offensive line is so far below the mark, I am not sure they can see it. Despite all the tough talk from Klemm and the rah-rah crap from the players; they do not win at the point of attack and the extent of their nasty seems to be Green flying in to block guys after the RB is on the ground. Dan Moore Jr is a great story and has potential for the future....but he is getting worked over pretty good by mediocre DEs at this point. Turner and Dotson are so great that no one noticed when Haeg and some other random back-up I couldn't identify ended up playing massive parts of the game. When you can swap out both your starting guards with a reserve OT and (Hausssenhaur? - Who never even started in college BTW) some guy AND no one notices a difference...either you have the best back-up OL in the league or your starting unit isn't really that good. I know which one I think it is.

QB play? Was there one? Has there been one? The best you can say about whoever is playing QB for the Steelers in 2021 is that they make the right read. After that? Not much. I am not certain a juggs machine on random wouldn't put up similar numbers.

Again, this is not saying that Canada is any good. He clearly doesn't have answers. But...the team has burned through 2 coordinators now. And the fan base has the exact same complaints. So...either Canada was around the team for a year+, saw what was working, what wasn't working, and what got Fichtner fired....and decided to do the SAME thing...OR... whatever this team calls an offense is all that the coaching staff feels comfortable asking the OL and QB to do.

it simply cant be that ( the bold ) or they would have Kept Randy for an ongoing excuse instead of swapping out an aftermarket part that does the same thing as the original ... that said when Ben is in the game I would be all for him just calling his own plays all game long ... the only real risk then is him writing checks he can no longer cash as a player but the upside of that is he would for atleast a game or two give teams more to think about than the 10 yard or less pass play and the run behind ( insert guards name here ) because quite frankly that is 90% of the play calls

as for the O-Line its a sum of its parts , and the parts are just not all that good

[Mojouw]

it simply cant be that ( the bold ) or they would have Kept Randy for an ongoing excuse instead of swapping out an aftermarket part that does the same thing as the original ... that said when Ben is in the game I would be all for him just calling his own plays all game long ... the only real risk then is him writing checks he can no longer cash as a player but the upside of that is he would for atleast a game or two give teams more to think about than the 10 yard or less pass play and the run behind ( insert guards name here ) because quite frankly that is 90% of the play calls

as for the O-Line its a sum of its parts , and the parts are just not all that good

Ben was calling a great deal of his own plays last season and it was basically the same garbage. When he was running off on his own in the hurry up he wasn't dialing up the deep ball or anything.

The limitations at OL and QB have this offense severely limited. Now...would more innovative and clever play-callers have answers? Maybe. But we have how many games of evidence now to indicate that it doesn't matter who is calling the plays...there are only so many things they have confidence in doing well.

So maybe the coaching isn't helping but this is a crappy roster problem more than a crappy coach problem. Bad OL and Bad Qbs are going to make any offensive coaching staff look poor. Let alone the "brain trust" the Steelers have put together.

[Dwinsgames]

Ben was calling a great deal of his own plays last season and it was basically the same garbage. When he was running off on his own in the hurry up he wasn't dialing up the deep ball or anything.

The limitations at OL and QB have this offense severely limited. Now...would more innovative and clever play-callers have answers? Maybe. But we have how many games of evidence now to indicate that it doesn't matter who is calling the plays...there are only so many things they have confidence in doing well.

So maybe the coaching isn't helping but this is a crappy roster problem more than a crappy coach problem. Bad OL and Bad Qbs are going to make any offensive coaching staff look poor. Let alone the "brain trust" the Steelers have put together.


we are not even seeing some basic easy to run plays being used tho ...

where are the wheel routes ?

where is the off tackle runs ?

basic stuff , that gives a defense more to think about , more to cover , spreads them a bit wider ( would help open the middle up some if you have to be able to make it wide even if they cheat a half a step wider ) a NFL back only needs a small window to exploit Im for giving your players the best opportunity to succeed and sometimes that is as simple as giving your opponent more things to consider/ cover

[Mojouw]

I wouldn't want to run outside or off tackle with this group.

Neither QB seems willing to hold the ball long enough for anyone to run a wheel.

Two coordinators. Same results through a different process. Time to start blaming the core problems. Playcalling isn't helping but it doesn't matter at this point. The Steelers lack the required offensive talent to be any good.

[EzraTank]

I'm surprised we're not running a left-wing lock.

[tube517]

For God sakes, the jet sweeps don't work anymore. The negative yardage is like a penalty. They might as well hold and see if they can get some non calls if they run this shit.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

3rd-&-goal from the 5

Not one touch by Najee. Not one. :frusty:

I get the call on 1st down. You try and catch the DC thinking Run-Run-Pass is what your call will be, but they didnt execute the play. I would have handed it to Najee on 2nd down and see what gets left on 3rd down.

I cant recall if Hassenauer and Haeg were in the game at that time or not, but sometimes when you have a couple backup linemen in that arent getting any offensive push, as an OC you lean on the passing game.

If Rudolph completes the pass to Ray Ray, when the Lions double covered Friermuth, there is a TD and nobody is complaining about that goal line series.

[86WARD]

“Potential” is a word that is used waaaaaaay too often around here lately.

Never good when that happens.

[tube517]

1465489061582413826 :lol:

[Moose]

Who in the Steeler FO thought that Canada was a good OC to begin with ? He wasn;t any good with the last team he was with.

[86WARD]

Who in the Steeler FO thought that Canada was a good OC to begin with ? He wasn;t any good with the last team he was with.

Has he ever been “good”?

[Mojouw]

Has he ever been “good”?

Based on the performance of the offenses he has directed at the college level, yes.

[86WARD]

Based on the performance of the offenses he has directed at the college level, yes.

He was at three different teams in three years. How good could that have been?

[Mojouw]

He was at three different teams in three years. How good could that have been?

I dunno. I don't watch college football because I find it boring and uninteresting most weekends.

I just know that many people who did watch college while Canada was putting together offenses said that he was pretty good at it.

[86WARD]

I watch college football but don't over analyze it. I don't recall ever hearing how great an offensive mind he was but know he went from Pitt to LSU ("mutually parted ways") and then landed in Maryland.

[Mojouw]

I watch college football but don't over analyze it. I don't recall ever hearing how great an offensive mind he was but know he went from Pitt to LSU ("mutually parted ways") and then landed in Maryland.

You have more direct knowledge than I do.

I just remember reading about Canada when the team hired him and many places were laudatory of his offensive design and approach.

[Rotorhead]

The issues with college games, is most good teams plays against JV talent teams for half or more of their games, so designing an offense to beat a team when you have NFL level talent playing against teams who have no players that will ever see the NFL isn’t so hard. That is why I don’t watch college games.

[Fire Goodell]

To be fair Canada doesn't really have much to work with

[pepsyman1]

Canada was at 7 different colleges over a span of 12 years including an interim head coach spot. None of those places appeared too upset about him moving on. No idea what Tomlin saw in him.

[DesertSteel]

Canada was at 7 different colleges over a span of 12 years including an interim head coach spot. None of those places appeared too upset about him moving on. No idea what Tomlin saw in him.
It's not really that uncommon for college assistant/position coaches to move around a lot. But I also wonder what Tomlin sees in him.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Pretty good play design here. Maybe the OC deserves some credit?

1467641739540406273

[DesertSteel]

Pretty good play design here. Maybe the OC deserves some credit?

I can't really go that far, yet.

[Shoes]

Pretty good play design here. Maybe the OC deserves some credit?

1467641739540406273

That was a nice play. Ben's pump-fake looked well oiled and a bit different, his motion carried through from the right side of the field to the centre left. Missed assignment on the raven side.

[86WARD]

He had a few nice plays designed yesterday. Much better than the slop that’s been trotted out there most of this season.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

That was a nice play. Ben's pump-fake looked well oiled and a bit different, his motion carried through from the right side of the field to the centre left. Missed assignment on the raven side.

"Well oiled" pump fake??

It looked like a token wave of the football. Nothing emphatic or aggressive. The kind of pump fake that Teddy Bridgwater could execute, without a glove, in the rain....without fear of the ball slipping out of his wee little hands.

[HollywoodSteel]

Pretty good play design here. Maybe the OC deserves some credit?

1467641739540406273

Is play design all it takes to keep defenders ten yards away from the receiver? I'd normally assume some kind of blown coverage was involved.

[Mojouw]

Going against tendencies creates stupidity on the part of a defense. The Steelers don't run play action. That pass, 99.9% of the time goes to the route on the sideline. The Ravens knew that and played that. Do something to break your tendencies and you get wide open players.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Is play design all it takes to keep defenders ten yards away from the receiver? I'd normally assume some kind of blown coverage was involved.

Its actually a combination of play design, seeing the defensive tendencies on 1st and 10 in coverage and knowing what position on the field to call that play. Face it, everybody thought it was at first a give to the RB, then a play action pass to the TE coming across the formation, but not that it was a primary pass to the WR on a post, with the slot receiver running a "wheel route".

Basically, the OC has that play on his call sheet and realizes the Ravens have been playing a lot of man to man, Cover-0 (no safety) and the Steelers have been running on 1st and 10. So the middle of the field will be open to the receiver running the "post" or deep cross, especially if the QB pumps the "wheel route" first to hold the man on the slot receiver.

The only way that doesnt work if the protection is there to get the throw off, is if the defense is playing a combination coverage, where they are playing zone on the field side (wide side) and man to man on the boundary(short side). Because that way the DB's on the field side will just switch when the receivers cross routes. Its a brilliant play design and situational call.

[86WARD]

Is play design all it takes to keep defenders ten yards away from the receiver? I'd normally assume some kind of blown coverage was involved.

The routes caused confusion on the defense.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

The routes caused confusion on the defense.

No confusion at all. Its man-to-man coverage and you can clearly see the Ravens defenders trying to cover man-to-man. Its the simplest coverage to understand from a DB perspective.

But the play took 5 or 6 seconds and the run fake and rollout action with the TE underneath, kept the other 9 defenders shallow, so the 2 CB's had to cover their WR's for 5 seconds over the entire width of the field. Asking a CB to cover 5 seconds with zero help is a recipe for offensive TD.

[HollywoodSteel]

No confusion at all. Its man-to-man coverage and you can clearly see the Ravens defenders trying to cover man-to-man. Its the simplest coverage to understand from a DB perspective.

But the play took 5 or 6 seconds and the run fake and rollout action with the TE underneath, kept the other 9 defenders shallow, so the 2 CB's had to cover their WR's for 5 seconds over the entire width of the field. Asking a CB to cover 5 seconds with zero help is a recipe for offensive TD.

I'm not trying to downplay the situational play call, based on all the factors you've mentioned. But it still seems like the DB guessed wrong at one point, or maybe was just juked by DJ. It also seems like you're saying that man coverage is defeated by good O line protection or the QB extending the play to allow for the time it takes for coverage to break down. If that's the case I could just as easily see someone criticizing Canada for calling a played that relied on those factors to be effective, given our current personnel.

[CV1]

I’d like the team to play hurry up a ton more… I truly think they play better when in a hurry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[86WARD]

No confusion at all. Its man-to-man coverage and you can clearly see the Ravens defenders trying to cover man-to-man. Its the simplest coverage to understand from a DB perspective.

But the play took 5 or 6 seconds and the run fake and rollout action with the TE underneath, kept the other 9 defenders shallow, so the 2 CB's had to cover their WR's for 5 seconds over the entire width of the field. Asking a CB to cover 5 seconds with zero help is a recipe for offensive TD.

There was total confusion as the two Ravens players ran into each other attempting to cover the same guy which left DJ wide open.

[Rotorhead]

To be fair to Canada, he even had a couple of pick plays this week, so maybe he is evolving?

[pepsyman1]

No confusion at all. Its man-to-man coverage and you can clearly see the Ravens defenders trying to cover man-to-man. Its the simplest coverage to understand from a DB perspective.

But the play took 5 or 6 seconds and the run fake and rollout action with the TE underneath, kept the other 9 defenders shallow, so the 2 CB's had to cover their WR's for 5 seconds over the entire width of the field. Asking a CB to cover 5 seconds with zero help is a recipe for offensive TD.

Ben let the ball go at 3 seconds, so I don't think it's that big an aberration. It was a good design and good execution. Something we haven't seen a lot lately.

[HollywoodSteel]

Ben let the ball go at 3 seconds, so I don't think it's that big an aberration. It was a good design and good execution. Something we haven't seen a lot lately.

Perhaps it was the perfect situational play call that caused confusion, but when I look at the play I see a DB actively moving away from DJ rather than just failing to stay with him. It definitely looked like he was expecting someone else to be covering the targeted receiver.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Perhaps it was the perfect situational play call that caused confusion, but when I look at the play I see a DB actively moving away from DJ rather than just failing to stay with him. It definitely looked like he was expecting someone else to be covering the targeted receiver.

What you are seeing is DJ "stemming the route" up the field and slightly in, to setup the DB so it looks like a corner route. The DB's are in "off-man" coverage as opposed to "press-man" coverage.

Its designed that way to stem the DB up the field and then allow time for 1. fake handoff to RB, 2. fake cross to TE, then by the time those 2 looks happen the receiver is cutting across the field. Otherwise if DJ just runs a slant, by the time the first 2 looks are given, then DJ would be across the middle of the field. Again, a well designed play.

[hawaiiansteeler]

https://i.redd.it/lx3sklpbz6881.jpg

[Shoes]

https://i.redd.it/lx3sklpbz6881.jpg



Let me guess, someone in-house? And while you're at it why not grant Butler his wish of playing golf everyday.

[teegre]

AARGH!!! :frusty:

Fillipponi is saying it!?! Now it will NEVER happen.

[tube517]

AARGH!!! :frusty:

Fillipponi is saying it!?! Now it will NEVER happen.

Poni tweets alot of crap. I think you're right Teegre. Ugh.