After a tumultuous first two seasons on the job, Matt Canada will return as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator in 2023, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Canada, 50, replaced Randy Fichtner following the 2020 season. This past season, Canada oversaw an offense that finished 26th in the NFL in scoring, 24th in passing, 16th in rushing and 23rd in red zone efficiency. The unit did finish an impressive seventh in the league in third-down efficiency.
Any Steelers fan will tell you that Pittsburgh's offense was tough to watch during the season's first eight weeks. But the unit improved considerably after Pittsburgh's bye week and was a key contributor to the team's 7-2 finish. The offense scored at least 20 points in five of those games that included 30 points against the defending AFC champions and 28 points in Pittsburgh's season finale against Cleveland.
Canada's offense seemed to find its identity after the bye week. Jaylen Warren's role was increased while leaning more on the running game. The result was a more efficient, mistake-free offense that was still evolving by season's end. This was accomplished despite a relatively young starting lineup that included four starters in rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, rookie wideout George Pickens and linemen James Daniels and Mason Cole.
After coming up short in big moments early, Pickett was Ben Roethlisberger reincarnated in weighty moments during the season's final weeks. Pickett threw game-winning touchdown passes against Las Vegas and Baltimore while becoming the first rookie quarterback to throw game-winning touchdown passes in the final minute in consecutive weeks.
Pickett recently expressed optimism regarding the Steelers' offense with Canada at the helm in 2023.
"He picks my brain on what I like and how I like it," Pickett said of Canada during an appearance on "Not Just Football with Cam Heyward", via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Throughout the game, [he's] asking me to rank plays. He likes to see the game from the quarterback's point of view. He keeps things different. We really caught stride after that bye week, and we figured out what it takes to win -- what that recipe looks like, so we can continue to grow as a team and grow as an offense."
