2023 Week 6 Bye Week Thread 3-2 Steelers

[Steeler Hitman]

 

The Steelers are resting on the Pickett fence of the bye week. Kenny and the rest of the team get some time off and time to improve before heading out west to La La Land to face the Rams next weekend. 

Despite a 3-2 record and leading the AFC North, Matt Canada remains under fire and siege by Steelers Nation.

Much of Steelers Nation is hoping that there is a change in the coaching ranks  (or OC ranks) during the bye week. It hasn't and probably won't happen. But the Matt Canada disdain is growing with each poor offensive showing. 

Steelers win marks 40th straight game without 400 yards of offense

A healthy Dionte Johnson should help jumpstart the passing game.

The Steelers OL needs a reality check. They have just not been that good in 2023. 

On a positive note, the ILB play is improving. Cole, Elandon, and Kwon had their best game as a unit versus the Ravens. 

TJ and Alex have a leg up on most outside LB/Edge duos in the NFL. Definitely one of the better 1-2 punches in the NFL at their positions. A strong comeback after a less-than-stellar performance versus the Texans. 

Lil Peezy needs to be on the field more. More often than not, good things will happen.  He is learning and growing each week. 

It is up to HC Mike Tomlin to get the offense jumpstarted and the team focused and directed toward winning after the bye week. 

Where do the Steelers go from here?

Changes and improvements are needed to keep this team competitive and winning. You are what your record says you are, but sometimes looks are deceiving. This team has to get healthy and start getting physical in the trenches.  The SMASH has been missing from Smashmouth. The Steelers are fortunate to be 3-2 and leading the AFC North.  The Ravens helped to gift a win where they did some foolish things and the Steelers took advantage and stole a win.  Sometimes it is good to be lucky, but luck is not a strategy for success going forward.  Getting better and improving is though!  

 

Edited October 11, 2023 by Steeler Hitman
Missing Photo

[warfelg]

https://x.com/farabaughfb/status/1711810339069735175?s=46&t=xd5QJpZuXv2k7qD0xqd6aA
 

I’ve been seeing a lot of this going round to “defend” Canada against the “Kenny changed the play” narrative. 
 

1) This is changing the play. He obviously saw something to say what was called into him wouldn’t work. 
 

2) He installed cover-0 checks just for this game. Are you kidding me? How is this not an automatic part of the offense?!?

3) This very much fits into what I said I heard on Canada - you run the play he called and he drew up to who he wants it to go to. The fact that he never gave Ben/Mitch/Kenny checks that were auto just keeps backing that up. 
 

4) Sorry to cycle around be WHY ARE CHECKS A GAMEPLAN ONLY THING?!? How is something like this not just part of the base of this call?!? Like some things should just be auto applied as part of the playcall. Cover-0? Kenny you have the freedom to do what you did Sunday if you see the right coverage. Cover-2? Kenny you have the freedom to alter TE/SWR route to bust that seam. 8 in the box? Kenny you have the freedom to go to WR screen if the man is off. These checks aren’t hard! I’ve faced HS offenses with auto-checks like this. 

[jebrick]

As I have seen, KP called a protection change and signaled to Pickens to change the route.  I would hope that sort of thing is build into the offense and because they ran it we must assume it is part of the game plan.  Now 2 times in the drive, Pickens caught back shoulder throws for big gains which might be why the CB thought it would be another back shoulder.  So WOW, changing the play/route has big payoffs.

Another thing that showed up in another thread, Play action.  Every time the Steelers PA the defense really REALLY bites hard but the Steelers use it very few times.  If you go back and watch Ben's rookie season, the PA on almost all of his passes.  Note to Canada, do the same thing.

[bigben07MVP]

I know this is the bye week thread but I think the Rams absolutely cream us next week. That offense is the clicking on all cylinders and they just got Kupp back and he looks healthy. Stafford is playing like he’s in his mid 20s. 

Nacua and Kupp should feast on our corners and we’ve already proven twice this season that we have no answer for the “Shanahan” offense. McVay is going to feel like he’s playing Madden on rookie mode against Teryl Austin. 

Sucks because this was thought to be an easy W when the schedule came out. 
 

[warfelg]

3 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

I know this is the bye week thread but I think the Rams absolutely cream us next week. That offense is the clicking on all cylinders and they just got Kupp back and he looks healthy. Stafford is playing like he’s in his mid 20s. 

Nacua and Kupp should feast on our corners and we’ve already proven twice this season that we have no answer for the “Shanahan” offense. McVay is going to feel like he’s playing Madden on rookie mode against Teryl Austin. 

Sucks because this was thought to be an easy W when the schedule came out. 
 

On the flip side, the run game against teams have killed us along with what they can do off the run game and the Rams have almost no run game.  Watt and Hightower should be able to pin their ears back.  Once the Eagles got the pass rush going, the Rams offense cooled off.

[MOSteelers56]

19 minutes ago, warfelg said:

On the flip side, the run game against teams have killed us along with what they can do off the run game and the Rams have almost no run game.  Watt and Hightower should be able to pin their ears back.  Once the Eagles got the pass rush going, the Rams offense cooled off.

It's all going to hinge on if our offense can hold onto the ball and score some points. I'm worried, but if there's a week we can do it, it'll be after the bye. 

[Dcash4]

2 hours ago, jebrick said:

As I have seen, KP called a protection change and signaled to Pickens to change the route.  I would hope that sort of thing is build into the offense and because they ran it we must assume it is part of the game plan.  Now 2 times in the drive, Pickens caught back shoulder throws for big gains which might be why the CB thought it would be another back shoulder.  So WOW, changing the play/route has big payoffs.

Another thing that showed up in another thread, Play action.  Every time the Steelers PA the defense really REALLY bites hard but the Steelers use it very few times.  If you go back and watch Ben's rookie season, the PA on almost all of his passes.  Note to Canada, do the same thing.

I’m not trying to sound cool with this, but as a 15 year old sophomore playing on varsity I had the ability to signal a route to receivers and flip the side of run plays with cadence. 

We have called this a high school offense, but in reality that’s an insult to high school offense. 

[MOSteelers56]

3 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

I’m not trying to sound cool with this, but as a 15 year old sophomore playing on varsity I had the ability to signal a route to receivers and flip the side of run plays with cadence. 

We have called this a high school offense, but in reality that’s an insult to high school offense. 

We get it, we get it. @Dcash4 is a cool guy lol

[Dcash4]

4 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

We get it, we get it. @Dcash4 is a cool guy lol

Hey man, whenever you get a chance to brag about how the first pass you ever threw was completed for a touchdown, you just have to! 

Threw it right into the breadbasket on a slant to the ROLB. 

[warfelg]

Hilarious to hear the Burgh media pear clutch over "Fire Canada" chants at the pens game.

[jebrick]

2 hours ago, bigben07MVP said:

I know this is the bye week thread but I think the Rams absolutely cream us next week. That offense is the clicking on all cylinders and they just got Kupp back and he looks healthy. Stafford is playing like he’s in his mid 20s. 

Nacua and Kupp should feast on our corners and we’ve already proven twice this season that we have no answer for the “Shanahan” offense. McVay is going to feel like he’s playing Madden on rookie mode against Teryl Austin. 

Sucks because this was thought to be an easy W when the schedule came out. 
 

A loss vs a NFC team counts less than a loss vs an AFC team.  Is there any one in the NFC west we can beat?

[VigilantZombie]

I love that Leftwich reached out wanting to join our staff and they'd be idiots not to make it happen.  That said, they won't make it happen.

I love that "Fire Canada" chants broke out at the Penguins game.

Also, I think it's great that Pickett essentially confirmed he audibled on that Pickens TD. Guarantee Canada called a run play.

[warfelg]

6 minutes ago, VigilantZombie said:

I love that Leftwich reached out wanting to join our staff and they'd be idiots not to make it happen

You do know when he called plays in Tampa they were universally terrible right?

[VigilantZombie]

5 minutes ago, warfelg said:

You do know when he called plays in Tampa they were universally terrible right?

I know that he wasn't a great run play guy. I do think he could help our passing game. Having said that, while I have advocated for it before, I'm not sure Leftwich is the best choice for an OC. My issue is, if there's a chance it improves anything why not?

At the end of the day I think they're idiots because they seem to refuse to see the issues with Canada or do anything about it. It's actually very little about Leftwich. I don't care who it is, we need a change.

[rlon]

Chucky! That is all…