Former NFL QB calls Steelers offense 'Painful, pure comedy'
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada is one of the more polarizing figures in the city. Often dinged for his offensive philosophy and playcalling, he's taken it on the shins when it comes to the state of the offense over the past few seasons. And while this year the Steelers have looked more dynamic in […]
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada is one of the more polarizing figures in the city.
Often dinged for his offensive philosophy and playcalling, he's taken it on the shins when it comes to the state of the offense over the past few seasons.
And while this year the Steelers have looked more dynamic in camp, one former NFL QB was sick to his stomach watching Pittsbrugh's preseason opener:
J.T. O'Sullivan: "It Is Two Middle Fingers to Dropback Passing"
“So, Hank and Spacing to get us going? That’s what we’re doing, Steelers? I personally would struggle in an environment like this,” O’Sullivan said when analyzing Pittsburgh's preseason tape on The QB School's YouTube. “Now, I’m sure Mike Tomlin and Matt Canada could care less what I would do. But even as a fan of football, let me just say, there is so much better stuff than that… those two concepts shouldn’t even be in playbooks anymore. There’s just so much better stuff, yet we still see it every year, but for this team, this organization, I think they do it more than others. It is two middle fingers to the dropback passing evolution to what football is and what it should be now. It’s comedy and pain at the same time.”
Harsh words from a tenured veteran, O'Sullivan won't pull punches and when he says, "I personally would struggle in an environment like this" it makes you worry about Kenny Pickett's future and the state of the offense as a whole in 2023.
But in my opinion, I think that the criticism is a little premature when you consider it was literally the first dive of preseason for Pittsburgh. I understand the narrative around Canada, and I fully understand the need to be better offensively.
So expecting to come out guns blazing, taking deep shots and running a high-powered offense was never going to happen. Preseason football is milk-toast, vanilla, bland, whatever adjective you want to use to describe boring, that's what it is.
And for good reason. Why show your cards in games that have zero impact on whether or not a team has a successful season?
So I'll give Canada the benefit of the doubt, even if it means disagreeing with O'Sullivan, someone I respect to the highest degree in this business.
But if this carries over to September, it's time to worry about Kenny Pickett's development and the state of the Steelers in 2023.
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Featured image via: © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
