Steelers fans chant ‘Fire Canada’ during home win as offense struggles
Share this post:
Holding a late lead against a longtime rival wasn’t enough to placate an often-ornery crowd Monday night at Acrisure Stadium.
A loud, clearly discernible chant of “Fire Canada” sustained throughout the duration of a timeout after an awkward run by Kenny Pickett lost 3 yards with 3 minutes, 5 seconds to play in Monday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers were leading at the time, 26-22, and they held on to win by that score when the defense produced a stop after the punt that followed the botched Pickett play. But the circumstances weren’t enough to satisfy Steelers fans frustrated by their team’s struggling offense.
The “Fire Canada” chants, of course, were directed at offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
#Steelers fans chanting "FIRE CANADA", as in Offensive Coordinator Matt Canadapic.twitter.com/sUGrKZSUO0https://t.co/yWJjaSBM3N
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 19, 2023
“Yeah, we didn’t hear that,” Steelers center Mason Cole said. “It wasn’t the plays. It was lack of execution again. For whatever reason, these last two weeks we haven’t executed to the level that we know we can. We have got to get that fixed.”
The Steelers offense produced only 12 points, nine first downs and 255 yards on 53 plays Monday. (Two Steelers touchdowns came on returns by the defense.)
Through two games, the Steelers have produced 19 points offensively, managing two touchdowns and two field goals while punting 13 times, committing four turnovers and turning it over on downs two other times.
So far in 2023, the Steelers have gone three-and-out (or worse) — defined as three or fewer offensive snaps without a first down — 12 times in 23 possessions (not counting two kneeldowns to end each half Monday).
“I mean, we just have to continue to trust the positions (Canada) puts us in,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “I think that’s been successful in camp, so we just have to continue to be in those positions and make plays.”
Mis Pittsburgh @steelers ganaron muy a pesar de Matt Canada y Mike Tomlin.
Tenemos equipo pero Tomlin le debe favores a Canada. A ver a qué hora Art Rooney II despierta.#HereWeGo #MondayNightFootball#FireMattCanada pic.twitter.com/noTinkPNKi— Dr. Red Devil (@RedDevilHero) September 19, 2023
Freiermuth joined several other offensive players who said they did not hear the “Fire Canada” chants. Quarterback Kenny Pickett, for example, when asked if he heard it said, “No, we were locked in on winning the game.”
Freiermuth, though, acknowledged he heard boos that the Acrisure Stadium crowd repeatedly directed toward the offense. The boos were heard several times after failures on third down or other negative plays.
“It’s got to get us going,” Freiermuth said. “Obviously, it’s never fun. but we have to learn from that. It’s more of a motivational, ‘Let’s get this thing going.’ We love the fans here, and they expect good football, so we will continue to try to get good football and wins for them.”
Canada is in his third season calling the plays for the Steelers after joining the staff in 2020 as quarterbacks coach. The Steelers ranked 21st among 32 NFL teams in points in 2021 and were 26th last season.
Canada was brought back, in part, to allow for a smooth transition for Pickett into his second season as an NFL starter. During the preseason, the Pickett-led first-team offense scored touchdowns on each of its five possessions over three games.
But through two weeks of the NFL regular season, the Steelers’ 494 yards of offense ranks second-to-last in the league.
“We just have to trust each other,” Freiermuth said. “We all feel like we looked really well in camp, so we just have to get back to doing what we have done in camp and … believing in each other.”
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.