Three Things Steelers Fans Can Be Thankful For This Year
While it might not feel like it right now, Steelers fans have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. It might not be Kenny Pickett or the offense, but there are some silver linings to how things have felt lately in Yinzer land.
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The Bad Man Can’t Hurt Us Anymore
Well, this one feels obvious. Steelers fans woke up to an early surprise on Tuesday morning when Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada was relieved of his duties. Not to get personal, but don’t let the door hit you on your way out pal. Best of luck to Canada in his future endeavors, but he can’t hurt us anymore Steelers fans.
The offense has sucked ever since Canada got to town. No sugar coating it. Consistently finishing bottom 10 in the league in just about every metric. Has he had a great hand at the quarterback position? Not by any means. An old Ben Roethlisberger, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Kenny Pickett isn’t necessarily ideal, but something needed to change. Now we will get a mix of the offensive game plan from Running Backs coach Eddie Faulkner and Quarterbacks Coach Mike Sullivan, a name that Pittsburgh fans might know, also the name of the Penguins coach. Weird coincidence.
This is the first time the Steelers have made a midseason change to the coaching staff since 1965. Unprecedented stuff happening in the Burgh. Mike Tomlin also stated he decided to move on from Canada, believe it or not.
Hopefully, this tag team duo will only be to finish out the year and the Steelers will look elsewhere for a long-term solution. Nothing against Faulkner or Sullivan, but speaking for all of Steelers Nation, we’re done with the inside hires and promotions. It hasn’t worked well for the better half of a decade, no reason to continue doing it.
A shuffle in the offensive coaching was originally believed to be bad for a young Pickett, but now it’s looking like the best thing that could have happened to him. Thanks for the memories Matt Canada, happy trails.
Best Steelers Rookie Class In Recent Memory
Although we’ve gone over it a few times up to this point, this Steelers rookie class shows more and more every week as to why they’ll be big players for the Steelers down the road. Joey Porter Jr, Broderick Jones, and Keeanu Benton have all seen their role grow recently after the bye week and they’ve been impressive.
Porter Jr brings the same feisty attitude as his dad out there, he always wants the toughest assignment. He’s always up to the challenge. When was the last time the Steelers drafted a lockdown corner? Couldn’t even tell you. After years of horrendous draft picks like Artie Burns, Senquez Golden, and Curtis Brown, the Steelers finally nailed one. In their defense, Cameron Sutton was a great draft pick, but now he’s in Detroit.
The Steelers run game has seen significant improvement since Broderick Jones entered the starting lineup, the Pickett Fence as some call the offensive line. Three weeks in a row now the Steelers have been able to run the ball at will, and Jones has been a big part of it. Look at Jaylen Warren’s 74-yard touchdown against the Browns, you’ll see Jones being a huge reason why. The kid can play. Keep drafting from Georgia.
Defensive Lineman Keeanu Benton has also seen his playing time rise and he’s been quietly making the most of it. He might not be filling up stat sheets, but Benton has been a big player for the Steelers when you break down the film. Another school to keep drafting from is Wisconsin. Omar Khan nailed the draft.
The Steelers Defense Is Still Great
Death, Taxes, and the Steelers having a stout defense. This is something we all know as Steelers fans. It is the highest-paid defense in the league, even if it doesn’t look like it at times. The Steelers ability to get pressure wasn’t as prevalent as usual in the loss to Cleveland, but the defense was still stellar, only giving up 13 points. The only problem is the offense didn’t help at all. Hopefully that changes with the new playcalling, but it would be silly to expect a big jump in production from the offensive group.
If this defense can get healthy and get some support from the offense, look out AFC. The Steelers could be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch if Kenny Pickett gets some confidence back and his ribs heal up.
Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation!
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