In a team sport, when there is great success, it’s rarely due to just one individual. When there is significant struggle, it isn’t always on one person either. While everyone wanted to desperately put the entire failure of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season long struggles offensively on the shoulders of Matt Canada, yesterday’s result made it clear; there was much more to this than just some well-traveled play-caller.
The Arizona Cardinals came into Acrisure Stadium giving up almost 30 points per game. They also ranked 31st in the league in rush defense. It was no surprise that they clearly had us all fooled, including yours truly, as they held the Steelers to just three points until the final minutes of the game. First off, there’s no excuse for what happened in Pittsburgh Sunday. The Steelers were beaten by a team that played with more energy and more fire. They played a team that was better prepared too and there is no scapegoat to blame today. There’s no ‘Matt Canada’ to take out your frustrations on because he’s gone.
Mike Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner started out well enough with a nice run on first down then a nice play-action pass from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens to get near the Red Zone. That’s when it all went black and I don’t mean the skies over Pittsburgh. Those came later. The Red Zone offense, which has been so bad this season, was once again to blame. Call it poor execution or call it poor play-calling, I don’t care. The bottom line is they had to settle for a field goal and it gave Arizona life.
If that gave the Cardinals life then the Red Zone debacle in the second quarter was like a B-12 shot for the lowly Cardinals. Three straight runs, two by Najee Harris and one by Kenny Pickett got the Steelers to the one-yard line. When Pickett exited with an injury, Mike Tomlin should have immediately called timeout facing a fourth and goal. Mitchell Trubisky needed a few more throws to get loose and if nothing else, give the Cards even the slightest possibility that he would throw despite it being his first snap. No such timeout occurred. Sullivan and Faulkner dialed up a shotgun formation and a handoff to Harris who was stoned at the goal line. 99-yards later, Arizona had a touchdown and a lead it would not relinquish.
Shotgun on fourth and one at the goal line? Haven’t we seen this horror movie before? If you give up even the slightest glimmer of an opening to a defender the play is going to be shut down and that’s what happened. By going under center, you at least allow your running back a bit of a head start. Any Steeler fan who has seen this team play regularly knew as soon as they saw the formation knew what was coming. It was almost as if Matt Canada had slipped back into Acrisure Stadium to call that one.
But he didn’t. He was nowhere to be found. While he should hold a considerable amount of blame for this offense’s ineptness, Sunday proved that there were many others just as culpable as he was. Oh I’m glad he’s no longer there, but let’s not act like he was the only problem.
Feature image courtesy A to Z Sports.
