[ad_1]
During his final press conference for the 2020 NFL season, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said changes would be made within the organization. Using a form of quote from “defining insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome,” it appeared the Steelers would be making some tough decisions in the weeks to come. Surprisingly, it wasn’t until the next day when three coaching contracts were not renewed for the 2021 season and one coach retired. Most notably, the Steelers parted ways with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner after just three seasons in that particular role.
One thing we need to remember is that while we can watch how things appear based on people’s words and body language, there is often an awful lot going on behind the scenes that Steelers fans are unable to judge. Sometimes it’s after the fact that we find out that the best player on the team is an absolute nightmare to face on a daily basis. Other times, something that appears to be the problem may not be the cause of the problems after all.
Randy Fichtner was chosen by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be the Steelers’ offensive coordinator. His quarterback coach since 2010, when the Steelers left Todd Haley as coordinator, it didn’t take long to promote Fichtner to the job.
It seemed like Ben Roethlisberger had the person he wanted to work with to lead the Steelers offensive to greatness. Sadly, the 2019 season was called off after Roethlisberger suffered a late-season injury in Week 2. But in three seasons the Steelers’ offense has struggled at times, even in their 11-game winning streak. to start the 2020 season. Once some things were resolved by opposing defenses, it appeared the Steelers had little to offer in the form of adjustments other than “let Ben be Ben”.
The Steelers leaving Fichtner have asked several questions about the future of the organization. Here is just an example:
Has the relationship between Fichtner and Roethlisberger soured?
It was during the 2019 season that comments from coach Fichtner and quarterback Mason Rudolph started to raise a red flag among some. It appears that several times when the Steelers offense sizzled, which was quite often in 2019, Coach Fichtner didn’t hesitate to throw his young quarterback under the bus. On the flip side, some of Rudolph’s comments about the things Coach Fichtner was hammering into his brain might give pause to the thought that Rudolph was suffering from “analysis paralysis.”
While listening to Fichtner’s comments and press conferences in 2020 it appeared that there were times when the Steelers offense worked, it wasn’t Ben Roethlisberger drawing plays in the mud according to Fichtner. But when the Steelers attack got a problem, it looked like Fichtner was going out of his way to point out that it was Rothlisberger calling the pieces. Perhaps the Steelers coordinator took the credit when there was merit, but throwing the blame at the time of responsibility was not right for the future Steelers Hall of Fame quarterback.
Does leaving Fichtner show the Steelers are ready to leave Roethlisberger?
Another question would be whether the Steelers are ready to make any overall changes to the offense, especially when it comes to philosophy and scheme, is that something Ben Roethlisberger is interested in doing at the end of his season? career? If Roethlisberger really intends to play one or more more seasons with the Steelers, is a change in attacking system something he wants to do at this point in his career?
This may be something the Steelers discussed with Roethlisberger before making the decision. This may not be the case. If the Steelers are ready to make that change regardless of Roethlisberger’s opinion, knowing that he might choose to hang him up had to be something they were prepared to live with.
Was there more to Randy Fichtner than it seems?
As mentioned in the first question in the section, Randy Fichtner often seemed to want to deal with the successes and failures of the Steelers offense. The fact that the Steelers signed a quarterback coach for the 2020 season, a position that Fichtner had for 10 years even when he was the offensive coordinator, was the writing on the wall that the Steelers were going to make a change. coordinator. really advanced the last offseason? Were the Steelers just waiting for Fichtner’s contract to expire to move on? Was coach Fichtner really in charge of the offense this season or was he gradually being taken away from his responsibilities? Was there a turning point in the season when the Steelers knew Fichtneer was not in a position to take responsibility?
Knowing how the Pittsburgh Steelers operate, unless Randy Fichtner goes out of his way to publicize his side of the affair, don’t look for the Steelers to throw him under the bus and expose his shortcomings (much like he liked the make). This is just not how they do business.
Just 48 hours later, reports revealed that the Steelers were planning to promote quarterbacks coach Matt Canada to the offensive coordinator. Nothing was officially offered and any interviews the Steelers could have conducted have not been reported. The Steelers can’t just promote Canada without conducting interviews, as coordinator positions now also fall under the Rooney rule. But with Coach Canada being interviewed for the coordinator position in Miami, the report on the Steelers’ intentions appears to be a deliberate move not to lose their favorite.
Hiring Canada also raises additional questions. Again, here’s just an example:
What influence did Canada have in the Steelers 2020 offense?
Some don’t like an internal hire for the Steelers coordinator position. But how much of an insider was Canada in 2020? Did he have a lot to say about the Steelers attack, or was he just there to brainstorm and help develop Mason Rudolph? While these are interesting questions, there’s a chance some of them may be answered before the 2021 season.
Was 2020 just that the Steelers got to know Canada better for a job they knew they wanted to offer him?
Upon arriving, much of the Steelers Nation were saying that Canada was now coming in to be in line for the Steelers Offensive Coordinator position once the opportunity presented itself. Did the Steelers know they were leaving Fichtner after 2020, barring a major change? Was Canada there to “start the fire” or to defer to Fichtner? Did the Steelers bring in Canada just to audition for the job and show what they can do in the NFL before taking over?
Is Ben Roethlisberger ready to lead Matt Canada’s attack, or will Canada have to adapt to Roethlisberger if he stays?
As stated here at BTSC on several occasions, there often seems to be a mismatch between some of the philosophies the Steelers were implementing from a Matt Canada system and Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to execute those concepts. A good overview of the situation can be seen here thanks to our own Geoffrey Benedict:
If Canada is the Steelers’ offensive coordinator next season, as has been reported, does that mean the Steelers are leaving Ben Roethlisberger? If Roethlisberger returns as has been reported, will Roethlisberger adapt to the Canadian system or will it be the other way around? Will Canada be handcuffed with what it really wants to do because of the aging Steelers quarterback?
It’s hard to say if and when these questions will be answered definitively, but during the offseason, it’s the sort of thing Steelers fans discuss often. It’s hard to say how long it will take before there is an official announcement regarding Ben Roethlisberger for the 2021 season, but reports indicate the Steelers want to spend next season with their Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
So what do you think of the Fichtner-Roethlisberger-Canada triangle? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
[ad_2]
Source link