PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You would think it might be tempting for Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada to gloat or at least point to naysayers about the preseason success of the Steelers offense. But that's not the direction he chose after his first-team went five possessions, five touchdowns this preseason.
"Yeah, that's what you want to happen," Canada said Saturday. "I mean nothing we've done counts."
It's like what Canada said after success in the first preseason game. They keep putting their heads down and working and there is a sense they know they will be better than most people think.
"I mean, I think there's positive in going out and doing what we should do, and doing what we've done in practice everybody would like," Canada said. "If we didn't do that, we'd all be talking about it. But it doesn't matter until it starts to count for real."
"So, happy with where we are, happy with the execution, the urgency the guys have shown, you know, happy with a lot of things we've done. But none of that really matters until a couple of weeks from now."
The Steelers third-year offensive coordinator would concede overall he thinks they are better. They are more experienced with key players in their second and third seasons.
"We have an identity amongst our team, you know, and that identity wherever else, I think we know who we are," Canada said. "I think Kenny (Pickett) being the quarterback and having all the reps and the timing and all those things you guys have talked about. So, I think that's better. But as I was saying nothing matters until we play a real game."
With a two-week long layover until the first game against San Francisco on September 10, Canada said the challenge now is to keep working every day. They need to continue to set goals and achieve them and Canada said he expects nothing less.
Pickett production
In their second season working together, Canada joked he probably gave too long of an answer, but said this about quarterback Kenny Pickett.
"He's the leader," Canada said. "I think the offense is you know; we're doing the things we've done in our offense. And I say that obviously, we have wrinkles and differences, but there's not been dramatic changes. What Kenny likes within whatever we've done, and I think, well I don't want to speak for Kenny, but Kenny understands it, knows where to go, has the answers."
"If they do this, I do this. If they do this and this, then we do this. The ball can go here, I think feeling with the guys. And I think ownership as far as he's the leader."
"And Kenny is a very outward leader, a strong leader, you know commanding leader. And once you're in a system for a while and you're around guys for a while and, you know anything you do for a year, it's probably like any job everybody has. If you're there for a year, you kind of get it figured out, right? This is what I do in May, this is what I do in June."
"I mean, I think he's had that time to now put his own stamp on things."
In the preseason, Pickett led the NFL in yards per attempt, first down percentage, passer rating (158.3), second in completion percentage and fourth in touchdown passes (2) with no interceptions or turnovers.
