Mike Tomlin on Steelers fans chanting to fire OC Matt Canada: ‘We want them to be fat and sassy and spoiled’

Mike Tomlin went on the offensive all the way through his weekly Tuesday press convention. Instead of ready to reply to questions regarding an underachieving offense, the Steelers head trainer led off his 20-plus minute press convention addressing the subject head on. 

Pittsburgh’s offense has now not lived up to preseason expectancies to this point. Through two video games, the Steelers are twenty sixth within the NFL in scoring, closing in first downs accrued, thirty first in dashing and twenty ninth in each third-down and red-zone potency. The offense’s loss of luck impressed a chant from the gang calling for offensive coordinator Matt Canada to be fired all the way through the Steelers’ 26-22 win over the Browns. 

“We have to get our mojo back,” Tomlin mentioned of the Steelers offense. “We have to get the mojo we played with in the preseason. “We’ve misplaced that, to be blunt, within the closing a number of weeks.”

Doing a greater activity expecting schematics, Tomlin mentioned, is among the issues the Steelers can do a greater activity of transferring ahead in an effort to lend a hand the offense. Tomlin famous that the Browns particularly did issues from a run construction viewpoint Monday evening that Pittsburgh didn’t look forward to. That most definitely had one thing to do with the Steelers dashing for a meager 55 yards on 21 carries, with maximum of the ones yards coming in the second one part. It additionally had one thing to do with the efficiency of the Steelers’ offensive line that now and then gave the impression to be overmatched via the Browns’ defensive entrance. 

Tomlin is aware of that isn’t the handiest house the place his offense can toughen; he indexed off a myriad of items Pittsburgh can and wishes to do higher. And whilst he said that enhancements want to be made, Tomlin mentioned no primary adjustments are coming. 

“We’re not going to have knee jerk reactions in terms of trying to make wholesale changes in an effort to change that outcome, but we do acknowledge that two is a pattern,” Tomlin mentioned. “We’ve had two outings that are not up to snuff in that regard, and so it has our attention as we are preparing for this next one. 

“We’re all on this factor in combination. We’re now not assigning blame for someone. Obviously it begins with training; we have now were given to trainer higher. We’ve were given to get those enjoying quicker with extra fluidity, and surer. And get started quicker. 

“We realize that there are no secret formulas in that regard. It’s not a wave of a magic wand. What we have to do is continue to work, be true to ourselves and each other and honest about how we’re built, how we need to be built and the things that we need to do in an effort to extenuate our strengths and minimize our weaknesses.”

Tomlin was once particularly requested about a number of sides of the offense, together with operating again Jaylen Warren, receiver George Pickens and quarterback Kenny Pickett. 

Regarding Warren, Tomlin mentioned that, like any ascending second-year avid gamers, he anticipates him frequently seeing an larger position within the offense. Warren had 20 yards on six carries Monday however was once tied for tops on the group with 4 catches and moment in the back of handiest Pickens with 66 receiving yards. Warren did, then again, seem to omit a blocking off task that led to a sack of Pickett.  

When requested about Pickens’ giant evening, Tomlin mentioned that was once the byproduct of each Diontae Johnson’s absence (he’s these days on injured reserve with an injured hamstring) and the group’s want to get him extra concerned. Pickens stuck a 71-yard landing on Monday evening and recorded his moment occupation 100-yard receiving efficiency. 

With Pickett, Tomlin defined why he anticipates the Steelers’ second-year quarterback’s play to toughen after a coarse get started. Through two video games, the previous first-round select has finished simply 60.5% of his throws with extra interceptions (3) than landing passes (two). He did carry out higher Monday evening than he did all the way through the Steelers’ Week 1 loss to the 49ers. Specifically, Pickett’s rapport with Pickens was once higher after the 2 hooked up 5 instances for 36 yards in opposition to San Francisco. 

“I just want to see him continue to work in the manner of which he’s been working,” Tomlin mentioned of his quarterback, “continue to communicate in the manner in which he’s been communicating, and lead his group. He’s done a lot of things well in preparation. He could play better. We all could play better. But procedurally I like what I see from him. And usually, when a guy procedurally is in the right spot, the performance soon follows.”

Tomlin was once then requested about his embattled offensive coordinator who was once on the receiving finish of chants calling for his termination all the way through the second one part of Monday evening’s recreation. Canada, who’s in his 0.33 yr as Pittsburgh’s OC, has overseen an offense that has failed to rating 20 issues in 23 of his 37 video games on the activity. Two of the Steelers’ 3 touchdowns on Monday evening have been scored via pass-rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. 

“I appreciate their passion. I share their passion, we all do,” Tomlin mentioned of the chants. “We love our fans. They inspire us, they challenge us. It’s an awesome relationship. We don’t run from challenges, we run to challenges. This is the sport entertainment business. It is our job to win and thus entertain them. And so, we don’t begrudge them for that. We we want them be fat and sassy and spoiled. It is our job.”

Tomlin would possibly perceive the fans’ hobby, however he does not proportion their stage of shock, a minimum of now not these days. 

“I’m a part of the process,” Tomlin mentioned. “When you’re part of the process, it’s less troublesome to you.”