Steelers new offensive coordinator wants a bird’s-eye view of his quarterback.
Canada confirmed Wednesday that he will call plays from the press box this season, instead of staying on the field like his predecessor, Randy Fichtner.
He will communicate with Roethlisberger via headset, and is allowed to talk with the Steelers quarterback until the play clock hits 15 seconds. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will also work as an intermediary, according to Canada.
The question is, when Roethlisberger decides that he wants to dictate the offense — as has been the case over the years — will Canada be willing to hand over the reins?
“Yeah, we actually had a conversation about that when he was out, and he was still engaged on the phones last week once he was done playing,” Canada said. “I think Ben and I have a very similar belief that all we want to do is win games. We’re gonna work together.
This is the first time serving as a coordinator in the NFL for Canada, and just his second year working for an NFL team after a lengthy college career. And he seems willing to observe his veteran quarterback, and take notes.
“I’ve said it from day one: I’ve learned from him, I’ve listened to him, and obviously, we have things like, ‘Let’s give this a look,’ on both sides. Maybe, ‘We’re doing this, and this is a thought I had,’ and, ‘Give this a look,’ and, ‘Hey, look at this from his perspective.’”
Canada, without question, has a good problem on his hands. The Steelers have a wealth of options to put on the field at any point, especially with the emergence of rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth, who caught two touchdowns from Roethlisbrger in last week’s preseason win over Detroit.
“I think he’s got a real drive to be great,” Canada said. “Obviously, he’s working on his craft and, obviously, you saw some of that. Inches will make you taller in this game, wherever the ball is placed, and obviously Ben’s so good at that.
“The time that they’ve put in together, you saw some of that last week. There’s a whole lot more to do and a whole lot more growth to occur, but I think Pat’s openness and willingness to do that is impressive and certainly we’re using that to our advantage.”
At the end of the day, Canada wants to use those weapons to accomplish one thing: win. And letting Roethlisberger operate with his new teammates could be a path to doing just that.
“All we’re trying to do is find a way to score one more point on the team we play every week we play,” he said. “That’s our only goal. I think all of us are doing that, certainly.
“Not minimizing the great ability and knowledge of the game Ben has. I’ve said that multiple times. We’re gonna use everything we can to get that done.”