The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense hasn’t been pretty to watch for most of this decade. Much of that can be blamed on their poor offensive coordinators. Nothing was worse than Matt Canada’s stint with the Steelers, though. He was the team’s offensive coordinator from 2021-2023, and Pittsburgh’s offense was absolutely miserable for most of that time.

Even some players were baffled by decisions Canada made. Former Steelers tight end Eric Ebron recalled how frustrated he would sometimes get with Canada in practice.

“Sometimes the OC be on bullshit,” Ebron said Wednesday on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast. “You know who our OC was…This was our second year…We had bald bro, Matt Canada…I’m like, ‘Dude, this is Seven Shots. Why the fuck are we trying to run the ball? We’re trying to score.’”

Seven Shots was a drill that Mike Tomlin loved having the Steelers run. It sees the offense line up at the 2-yard line seven times, with the defense doing its best to prevent a score. It’s a good way to simulate goal-line situations.

However, it isn’t a perfect re-creation. For example, if players aren’t in pads, it’s hard to properly run situations where the offense is running the ball. Players can act out the motions, but if they can’t hit, it’s less effective.

That’s where Ebron’s frustration with Canada comes in. As a pass catcher, especially a tight end, it must feel a little silly to not throw the ball more during Seven Shots. Ebron was known more for his receiving abilities, too, so it’s easy to see why he’d want to get more reps in that facet of the game.

Still, that doesn’t mean the Steelers should completely abandon running the ball during Seven Shots. Getting those reps in is still important. Even if it’s not as efficient as passing the ball, it’s important to still practice those plays.

Canada’s issues went beyond the red zone, though. His offense had a tough time even getting to that part of the field. It ranked 23rd, 23rd, and 25th in each of his three seasons in Pittsburgh. If other players were as confused by his practice decisions as Ebron, it’s easy to see why he didn’t work out with the Steelers.

It’s hard to get players to buy in when they don’t understand why they’re doing something.