PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It's a story on every local website, a topic for every talk show--the job Matt Canada is doing as Steelers offensive coordinator. He's aware of it and not shying away from the results.
"The ways you guys are all so fond of me I don't read anything," Canada said Thursday. "That would be unhealthy. I got family. I got people that care for me, so I'm not naïve to it. I have a job that everybody talks about. I wouldn't want to have any other job."
He also fully admits he's not been good enough. The results haven't been good enough and he's not passing the buck.
"It's all me, I'll take all the bad stuff," Canada said. "All of us are fighting and struggling and trying to find what we can do better to maximize the talents we have, minimize the weaknesses."
"All that matters on offense is winning, our job is scoring points. We haven't scored enough points."
The Steelers have scored nine offensive touchdowns in seven weeks. As Mike Tomlin and Kenny Pickett before him, Canada also wants splash plays. He knows it helps an offense and they've been close on a few, but haven't gotten it done. Until that happens, he will shoulder the blame.
"I can go back every game with you and say this play and this play and it's a hundred yards and 10 more points," Canada said. "I'm not saying that's what it is. It's only about production, that's all it's about. Until we put it on tape, it's not good enough. I think we are really, really close."
"Third play of the game (vs Miami), we have Diontae matched up on the guy we wanted to. It's press coverage and we have a communication issue. You can't have those at that time."
"Fifth play of the game, we got Chase matched up on the guy we wanted to. We had it, he got tangled up and it goes from a big play for us to maybe a pass interference to all of a sudden it's an interception."
"That's what happens so that's the reality."
While he says they are working hard looking for any way to improve, the standard Tomlin sets is keeping the message consistent. Don't just change everything because it's not working, execute the core plays. In a way, don't show panic.
"That doesn't mean we are not hunting schematics or can we do something different," Canada said. "I'm not saying that. There is a point if you change your message every week, you never get better."
"There are things you may not see that we are getting better at. You're seeing some things that are there. You are seeing more fluidity. But then you are also seeing, you can't have a penalty on a third and one on a sneak play. We can't forget those fundamental plays."
"I think Kenny Pickett is going to be a big-time player for a long, long time. Do I think our offense is going to be really good? I really, really do. Are we there now, no. Is it good enough, no."
"We are all aware of that. All you can do is keep fighting and keep pushing and wait for the dam to break. Until that does, we will be standing here and that's not where we want to be."
