Matt Canada Not Opposed To Adding More Motion And Playaction To Steelers’ Offense

Matt Canada doesn’t sit at the head of the table in the offensive meeting room but he gets a vote. Given what he’s done in college, consider him a fan of pre-snap motion and playaction, two elements sorely missing from the Steelers’ offense. Speaking to reporters via Zoom call Tuesday, Canada was asked if he’ll try to bring those aspects to Pittsburgh.


“It’s kind of a double edged question,” Canada said in his conference call. “Certainly for Ben. I’m coming in and learning our system and learning what we’ve done here and, that’s my job to just enhance whatever I can. Obviously play action is a big part of things we’ve done in the past, but we’re going to certainly focus on what Ben does well, what he’s always done well. However I can assist that, I’ll do it.”

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https://steelersdepot.com/2020/08/ma...elers-offense/

I hope it will be the case....

I believe The Steelers’ offense became so one-dimensional and predictable because their skill players was the best overall collection of offensive talent in the league. Bell and Brown just straight beat defenses with their superior skill. Take that talent away and you get 2019.

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Originally Posted by Edman

I believe The Steelers’ offense became so one-dimensional and predictable because their skill players was the best overall collection of offensive talent in the league. Bell and Brown just straight beat defenses with their superior skill. Take that talent away and you get 2019.

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Bell wasn't with us in 2018, but the fact that Ben was OUT for almost every game (and in both games he played, his arm strength was weak in 2019 and not at his best in 2018,he was a dink and dunk QB) was a big factor.

Yes the steelers need to add something new in offense, but remember in 2015 when our offense was as worse than last year (outside of limiting the turnovers) when a washed up Michael Vick was our QB .... Hard to have a good offense with an undrafted rookie QB....I hope you understand that...and every offense or defense need talent....

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Originally Posted by Edman

I believe The Steelers’ offense became so one-dimensional and predictable because their skill players was the best overall collection of offensive talent in the league. Bell and Brown just straight beat defenses with their superior skill. Take that talent away and you get 2019.

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The offense was very bland and straight forward. There was more disguise in a high school offense and I’m not exaggerating at all. Even the average fan that watched the Steelers week in and week out could probably guess the play 70% of the time.

The 2019 offense was horrible for quite a few reasons. Mostly no Big Ben and subpar backups, who also spent time on IR. I believe DJ had sports hernia surgery this offseason and played hurt which possibly limited him some last season. JuJu had a bad toe and knee and dealt with a concussion last season. The Rudolph/Washington connection never got going as expected. How many games did the RB room miss due to injuries? Yes, every team deals with injury and it is next man up, but if you take this into account and the fact that this team still almost made the playoffs, the coaches did a damn good job last season. With a full roster and Canada's addition, this offense could be very impressive.

Here's a graph:
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...9_injuries.htm

I'm glad it looks like someone other than Fichtner has a say in the offense. Should have Canada design the offense and call plays (or Ben calling offensive plays from the no-huddle)

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Originally Posted by Edman

I believe The Steelers’ offense became so one-dimensional and predictable because their skill players was the best overall collection of offensive talent in the league. Bell and Brown just straight beat defenses with their superior skill. Take that talent away and you get 2019.

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I disagree there. Take Ben away and you get 2019.

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Originally Posted by vasteeler

I disagree there. Take Ben away and you get 2019.

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Ben was awful for stretches without AB going back to the 2018 finale against the Bengals. Our worst offensive output of the season came with him under center against the Patriots. No Steelers Quarterback, no quarterback period was going to succeed under center in last season’s offense.

AB’s absence exposed the gaping holes in the offense. It was a backyard-level “Draw lines in the sand” offense that lived and died on its skill talent just being so good and winning individual matchups. You can get away with that when you have the elite wide receiver in the NFL who alters defensive gameplans just by being out there. Not so much with Donte Moncrief or James Washington. Ben, Mason, Duck, Paxton...none of them would’ve made a huge difference. I hope Canada can address this season.

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Originally Posted by Edman

Ben was awful for stretches without AB going back to the 2018 finale against the Bengals. Our worst offensive output of the season came with him under center against the Patriots. No Steelers Quarterback, no quarterback period was going to succeed under center in last season’s offense.

AB’s absence exposed the gaping holes in the offense. It was a backyard-level “Draw lines in the sand” offense that lived and died on its skill talent just being so good and winning individual matchups. You can get away with that when you have the elite wide receiver in the NFL who alters defensive gameplans just by being out there. Not so much with Donte Moncrief or James Washington. Ben, Mason, Duck, Paxton...none of them would’ve made a huge difference. I hope Canada can address this season.

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Haha, you judge Ben on just one game when Ben was not healthy against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL .... The steelers just needed an average QB in 2019 to win 10 games, make the playoffs and possibly winning a playoffs game in Houston ...

And I know you want to lessen Ben's impact, but it's not just last year that our offense was awful without Ben, outside of a few random games ... Remember 2015, when Ben was out for a few games, our offense with Antonio Brown at his peak and Le'Veon Bell were unable to move the ball for most of the time

It's true that 2019, the steelers had other offense problems, but no way it would have been bad like that if Ben had been healthy or that it would have been a QB like Ryan Fitzpatrick behind the center....Just look at some of the advanced stats...The steelers had the worst offense by far in the NFL

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/st...m-offense/2019

Top 25 would been enough to make the playoffs and win a playoff game in Houston with our defense.

NOW lets hear about how fat and out of shape Ben is! He looks fantastic in this pic.

Adding extra motion, I'm more than good with. You have a 38-year-old quarterback who's seen and done it all and will be able to read defensive intentions from the pre-snap motion better. Adding more play-action, not so much. You have a 38-year-old quarterback now turning his back on the defense more often. That scares me a bit.

Ben had one of the quickest releases in 2018, stayed healthy and led the league in passing ... by over 500 yards. Protecting Ben, getting the ball out quick, and not taking the pounding that Arians subjected him to year after year has to be the top priority. Because, we all have a pretty good idea what this offense looks like if Ben goes on the rack again.

Well, if they want to add more motion and play action, Ben better start watching some film.




/sarcasm

Motion and play-action should be used and it will be. Is this the same cure-all fix that changing from zone coverage to man to man was? The Steelers are more built now to play a power game than in previous years. We have WRs that also love to block. Put them in bunch formation and can pass or run like 'old-school teams'. They are also very effective spread out and creating separation. Ben knows most defensive tendencies by now. Yes, use motion and play-action, but play football first. The offense needs to create favorable matchups and execute. Matt Canada knows this, Randy Fichtner knows this, and Ben Roethlisberger knows this.

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Originally Posted by Born2Steel

Motion and play-action should be used and it will be. Is this the same cure-all fix that changing from zone coverage to man to man was? The Steelers are more built now to play a power game than in previous years. We have WRs that also love to block. Put them in bunch formation and can pass or run like 'old-school teams'. They are also very effective spread out and creating separation. Ben knows most defensive tendencies by now. Yes, use motion and play-action, but play football first. The offense needs to create favorable matchups and execute. Matt Canada knows this, Randy Fichtner knows this, and Ben Roethlisberger knows this.

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They can't go for the sheer jaw-dropping speed that KC displayed last night...BUT...they can use a multi WR set with motion to do some other cool things. Imagine that goal line play that KC ran to Watkins (the one that was basically an off-tackle run) for the TD but with Juju, Claypool, or Ebron instead of Watkins. They could really bully defenses with something like that play. They have better blockers all around than KC does.

Then everyone starts keying on what you are doing with skill guys out wide and you feed Conner inside --- just like KC did with CEH.

They have the personnel to be scary good. But can it come together soon enough? Can the new guys and young guys be counted on to execute consistently and precisely? Can't wait to find out!

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Originally Posted by Mojouw

They can't go for the sheer jaw-dropping speed that KC displayed last night...BUT...they can use a multi WR set with motion to do some other cool things. Imagine that goal line play that KC ran to Watkins (the one that was basically an off-tackle run) for the TD but with Juju, Claypool, or Ebron instead of Watkins. They could really bully defenses with something like that play. They have better blockers all around than KC does.

Then everyone starts keying on what you are doing with skill guys out wide and you feed Conner inside --- just like KC did with CEH.

They have the personnel to be scary good. But can it come together soon enough? Can the new guys and young guys be counted on to execute consistently and precisely? Can't wait to find out!

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The execution is everything. I remember a basketball coach saying 'you can gameplan or draw up any play you want but if the player misses the shot it doesn't matter how brilliant it was'. The fundamentals of football don't change. These guys at this point have been playing this game long enough and at a high enough level to earn NFL contracts(most of them). Getting everybody on the same page at the same time is going to take a minute though with no pre-season games and limited TC, of course. If this season does indeed continue to it's scheduled end, my belief is this Steeler's offense can be every bit as good as KC. Maybe even better. I can see using more pre-snap motion to get those favorable matchups and/or to get the right protection, but play-action will have a very minimal effect in the big picture, IMO. I am not claiming to know more than anyone else, just basing this opinion on what I do know.

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Originally Posted by Born2Steel

The execution is everything. I remember a basketball coach saying 'you can gameplan or draw up any play you want but if the player misses the shot it doesn't matter how brilliant it was'. The fundamentals of football don't change. These guys at this point have been playing this game long enough and at a high enough level to earn NFL contracts(most of them). Getting everybody on the same page at the same time is going to take a minute though with no pre-season games and limited TC, of course. If this season does indeed continue to it's scheduled end, my belief is this Steeler's offense can be every bit as good as KC. Maybe even better. I can see using more pre-snap motion to get those favorable matchups and/or to get the right protection, but play-action will have a very minimal effect in the big picture, IMO. I am not claiming to know more than anyone else, just basing this opinion on what I do know.

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Play action could have a HUGE impact. If the Steelers shamelessly stole some stuff from the Shannahans and McVay, they could run the whole offense off of it.

But, for some reason, they've never used it much. Is that design by the coaches or preference from the players?

Maybe 2020 will reveal the answer?

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Originally Posted by Mojouw

Play action could have a HUGE impact. If the Steelers shamelessly stole some stuff from the Shannahans and McVay, they could run the whole offense off of it.

But, for some reason, they've never used it much. Is that design by the coaches or preference from the players?

Maybe 2020 will reveal the answer?

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I think it's mostly due to the OL blocking schemes.

The Steelers OL ranked in the top10 last season and top3 in pass protection.

https://www.viqtorysports.com/play-a...o-read-option/

Here I put the 2018 offensive stats since there was no Ben in 2019. I would expect more of this: https://www.pro-football-reference.c...018_splits.htm

The Steelers offense is already at a 2-1 pass/rush ratio. Unless the Steelers commit to a more power run game offense not many defenses are going to commit to stopping the run even on play-action. Yes, I would love to see this, I just don't think it's going to happen to the scale that would make a big impact on the season.