MINICAMP KICKS OFF
Canada adding new wrinkles to offense, with deference, of course, to Big Ben
Matt Canada made the transition from college to NFL coach when he was 48 years old after spending 24 years, or half his life, in college football. Many coaches with aspirations of coaching at the professional level make the move earlier, which has Canada referring to himself in a self-deprecating manner as “just a college guy.”
Canada understands the unique dynamic that comes with taking over as Steelers offensive coordinator with one year of NFL experience on his resume. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been in the league since 2004 and his boss, head coach Mike Tomlin, since 2007.
“It’s just the facts,” Canada said Tuesday morning before the first Steelers minicamp practice of the spring at Heinz Field. “It is what it is.”
But there is a reason Tomlin sought a coordinator with college experience after the offense fell on hard times at the end of last season. Other NFL teams have been incorporating college concepts into their offenses for the past few years because the college game has been producing more diversified
players with distinct skill sets.
Last season, for example, the Steelers introduced the jet sweep into their playbook. Expect to see other changes with Canada now in total charge of the offense.
“We made a good installation plan,” Canada said. “We’re taking it at whatever pace we can handle and put in as much as we can by day and by week. I think the players have handled it very well. They’ve been very receptive to it. We’re not making drastic changes, just some changes in terminology and the way we want to call things.”
Canada spent his first season in the NFL as quarterbacks coach under former offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, whose contract was not renewed after last season. He now steps into the hottest of hot seats — the offensive play-caller whose in-game decisions will be critiqued as much as the play of the franchise quarterback.
“I learned a lot,” Canada said. “I learned a lot from our staff. Coach Tomlin is such a tremendous head coach. I learned a lot from him. I learned a lot from Ben. I enjoyed the process of how he does things, what he likes. I came in and listened and learned. I think football is the greatest game in the world. I’ll keep learning.”
Under Canada, players and some longtime NFL assistants on staff are learning new verbiage, new concepts and a new way of doing things. What won’t change, Canada said, is Roethlisberger’s signature on the offense.
“We’re going to do what Ben wants to do and how Ben wants to do it,” Canada said. “There are changes with terminology and how we’re calling things, which has been an adjustment for Ben. He’s been great learning it and he’s adapted easily like we all knew he would. That is our job. Matchups are how you win football games. That starts with the quarterback. What does he do well? What does he see? Then we’ll build off that. His voice, his vision will be what we do.”
Roethlisberger has been trying to aid in the transition this spring. He attended most of the voluntary OTA sessions before minicamp and has a head start on digesting the changes in the playbook.
New quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is the conduit from Canada to Roethlisberger,
and he has been impressed with the way they have meshed in a short period of time. He spoke of Roethlisberger’s “receptiveness” to new ideas and concepts. And as a former offensive coordinator in the league with the Buccaneers and Giants, Sullivan has been impressed with Canada’s transition to his new role.
“Matt has great energy,” Sullivan said. “I love the concepts. There are a lot of things that are new and fresh to me as we blend in some of his things to what we’re doing. He’s very sharp.”
Canada’s successful stints in the college ranks included many of the things Tomlin would like to reinstall into the offense, including a strong running game with play-action passing. Roethlisberger hasn’t been under center much in the past decade, and the Steelers have used play-action sparingly as a result.
But Canada said Roethlisberger getting under center or turning his back to the line of scrimmage on play-action passes are not among his chief concerns as he prepares the offense for the 2021 season. He is confident Roethlisberger can do anything he asks of him.
“Ben can do everything really well,” Canada said. “I don’t have any concerns about Ben doing anything we want to do. If you’re going to run the football, playaction is very important. Mr. Rooney sent out a very clear directive to Mr. [Kevin] Colbert, to coach Tomlin and to me. We have to be able to run the ball. We have to run it.”
Just don’t expect Canada to be fixated on rushing statistics. The success of the running game will happen organically as the season evolves, and Canada said he won’t feel pressured into having Roethlisberger hand the ball off a certain number of times per game.
“All that matters here is winning,” Canada said. “Our charge is to win the Super Bowl. That’s it. How we do that, the formula, we’re trying to create a system to put our players into position to make plays. We’re going to run it when we have to run it, and we’re going to throw it when we have to throw it. After that, we’ll do everything to get our best players in position to make the plays.”