The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense struggled significantly under Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. Hired as the team's quarterbacks coach in 2020, Canada was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021. However, Pittsburgh's offense ranked among the worst in the league during his tenure, culminating in his historic midseason firing in 2023.
By the 2023 season, the Steelers' offense was near the bottom in every metric. After Canada’s departure, there was a noticeable improvement in both the rushing game and play calling, though the offense remained a work in progress. In the offseason, Pittsburgh hired Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. Smith joins the Steelers after three challenging years as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Many players struggled in Canada's system, including young wide receiver George Pickens. Despite showing flashes of brilliance with difficult catches and big plays, Pickens faced frustration in 2023, largely due to the play-calling. Ray Fittipaldo discussed on 93.7 The Fan how he believes Pickens was a victim of Canada's poor offensive system.
"I think he [George Pickens] was probably a little bit of a victim of Canada's inability to craft good game plans and to call good games. So hopefully with Arthur Smith, we could see even more out of Pickens."
In 2023, Pickens caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and scored five touchdowns, averaging an impressive 18.1 yards per catch. Towards the end of the season, with Mason Rudolph at quarterback, Pickens had two standout games.
However, in the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, he was not targeted once. Despite this, he maintained a positive attitude, celebrating with his teammates post-game. This was a huge positive for Steelers fans and the organization to see. Prior to that he had been the focal point of the offense for the previous two games. Him not being targeted, but maintaining a great attitude postgame, was viewed as a big win.
Steelers' George Pickens Responded To The Noise
During the 2023 season, Pickens' attitude caused some controversy. Head Coach Mike Tomlin even held an extra press conference to address the media. Some Steelers fans called for him to be traded or benched. Pickens responded with one of the best performances of his career against the Cincinnati Bengals, catching four passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. This performance quieted his critics.
This offseason, Pittsburgh traded away star wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who also struggled with attitude and effort issues in 2023. Reports suggested the organization was tired of the headaches Johnson caused. With Johnson gone, Pickens will be heavily relied upon in 2024.
For the first time in his career, Pickens is set to be the true number one wide receiver. While he has shown the ability to take over games, some pundits wonder how he will perform when facing new coverages designed to blanket him. There is no doubt Pickens is talented and has the potential to become one of the league's great wide receivers. The 2024 season will be crucial for his future in the NFL and with the Steelers.
Steelers fans are eager to see how Smith plans to feature Pickens in the offense. Pickens clearly did not enjoy playing in Canada's system, and if he can maintain the positive attitude he had at the end of the 2023 season and have a big year under Smith, the Steelers' offense will be in a good position.
There are reports that Pittsburgh may be looking to bring in another star wide receiver to complement Pickens. This would ease the pressure on him and make coverages easier to handle. Regardless, Pickens' productive first two seasons under Canada's system make his achievements even more impressive. Steelers fans now wait to see if Omar Khan has any more big moves up his sleeve.
