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A32 sports
Diamars 28 December 2021

Blame Canada? Steelers offense regressing under coordinator

done everything we could’ve Adrian Klemm reportedly at the last minute after start-
to get it fixed.” bailing for the same job at er Pressley Harvin III went
Oregon, maybe it’s wise to home to be with his fam-
The reality is Pittsburgh’s do a full-on reboot and go in ily following the death of his
offensive line still isn’t get- a different direction entirely father, Corliss Waitman ac-
ting much push in the run on offense in 2022. Canada quitted himself rather nicely
game and its pass protection lasted just one year in his while averaging 60.5 yards on
is spotty at best. Throw in the previous high-profile stop, his two kicks.
39-year-old Roethilsberger’s parting ways with LSU after
inability to get out of the way a largely nondescript season STOCK DOWN
and the offense would be calling plays for the Tigers in Johnson is having the best
limited no matter who is call- 2017. season of his three-year ca-
ing the plays. reer, but spent most of Sun-
The optimism of early Sep- day in a funk. He dropped
The Steelers tasked Canada tember has faded into the re- passes and inexplicably gifted
with finding out creative ality of late December. Cana- the Chiefs a turnover when
ways to mask the offense’s da may still believe he has the he fumbled the ball without
(AP) — Matt Canada many shortcomings. He’s best job in the world. Wheth- being touched.
stood in the warm early Pittsburgh failed to score a been unable to find any sort er he’s the best man for that
September sunshine and first-half touchdown for a of sustainable approach, and job, however, is a question INJURIES
shrugged off the idea that fifth straight week — the first the team’s inability to get coach Mike Tomlin will have Center Kendrick Green is
being the offensive coor- time that’s happened since anything going in the first to answer far sooner than he dealing with a calf injury and
dinator for the Pittsburgh 1940 — and didn’t produce half has forced a defense rav- imagined when he promot- veteran left guard Trai Turner
Steelers carried any real a point until the Chiefs had aged by injuries and inexperi- ed Canada to replace Randy has a knee problem. Outside
sort of pressure. built a 30-0 lead. The play- ence to be on the field for far Fichtner 11 months ago. linebacker T.J. Watt (knee,
calling remains mystifying at too long. hip, ribs) clearly isn’t himself.
“I’ve got the greatest job in times. WHAT’S WORKING He had just one tackle and
the world,” Canada said at Pittsburgh’s margin for er- Nothing. Not the offense. played just 55% of the snaps
the time. A flea-flicker on the first play ror is razor-thin. The only Not the defense. Even nor- to dim his chances of being a
of the second possession in chance the Steelers have mally reliable kicker Chris Defensive Player of the Year
Fast forward three-plus which Ben Roethlisberg- against quality teams requires Boswell saw a 36-yard field- candidate.
months, and maybe not for er fluttered a pass that was them to take care of the ball goal attempt drift wide left
long. picked off. A fourth-down and force turnovers. amid the swirling winds at KEY NUMBER
toss wide to rookie run- Arrowhead Stadium. Minus-70. Pittsburgh’s
While the Steelers (7-7-1) re- ning back Najee Harris that When they do neither — as point differential through
main very much alive in the lost 3 yards. Dueling bubble they did on Sunday when WHAT’S NOT 15 games. The last time the
sea of mediocrity that is the screens on third-and-10, a they failed to produce a take- Getting on a plane. The Steel- Steelers had a greater negative
AFC, they’ve done it largely call that resulted in a flick to away while handing it to the ers have fallen behind by 17, point-differential on the sea-
in spite of an offense that ap- Harris that gained nothing Chiefs three times — they 38, 29 and 30 points in their son came during a 5-11 cam-
pears to be regressing as New when Diontae Johson was aren’t close to meeting the past four road games. They paign in 1988 (minus-85).
Year’s looms. open on the other side of the standard that’s been the norm are 2-5 away from Heinz
field. for the better part of five de- Field in 2021 and considering NEXT STEPS
Two weeks ago, they man- cades. their most likely chance to Hope playing at Heinz Field
aged just 168 yards in a bi- Asked why his team can’t get into the playoffs would be next Monday against Cleve-
zarre one-point win over seem to find any rhythm un- Canada’s best chance at earn- as the No. 7 seed, it’s difficult land goes a little bit better
Tennessee. On Sunday, they til the second half — if it’s ing another shot likely relies to imagine any postseason — OK, a lot better — than
were sloppy and careless able to find it at all — and on the organization’s stead- appearance being anything when the Browns visited 11
when it mattered in a 36-10 Roethlisberger just shrugged. fast belief in continuity. Yet other than a cameo. months ago when Cleveland
loss to Kansas City that sent with Roethlisberger’s status drilled the Steelers in a 48-37
them to their fourth loss in “I don’t know,” he said. “If beyond Jan. 9 uncertain and STOCK UP playoff win.
their past six games. I had an answer, I would’ve first-year offensive line coach Thrust into the punting job

Snow turns to frigid temperatures in the Pacific Northwest

(AP) — Emergency warm- ka, dumping up to 6 inches The agency is urging people declared an emergency.
ing shelters were opened (15 centimeters) across the to stay home if they don’t “We expect many more peo-
throughout western Seattle area. More snow is have to travel on Monday. In Multnomah County – ple to need a warm place to
Washington and Oregon predicted for Thursday, but That way, roads will stay clear home to Portland -- six se- sleep as temperatures drop
as temperatures plunged probably not quite as much. and safe for emergency ve- vere weather shelters are and more snow is forecast,”
into the teens and fore- hicles and those buses. open with plans to open ad- said Julie Sullivan-Spring-
casters said an arctic blast More than a foot (0.3 meters) ditional sites, including at the hetti, the county communi-
would last for several days. was reported near Port Ange- Frigid temperatures in the Oregon Convention Center. cations director.
les across the Puget Sound on region could tie or break re-
“What we’re going to be see- the Olympic Peninsula. Port- cords in the coming days.
ing for the next few days is land, Oregon, also received
very cold temperatures, by snowfall. The Seattle area is expected
Western Washington stan- to dip as low as 18 degrees F
dards,” said Mary Butwin, Icy roads will make the com- (-7.7 C), the lowest in several
a meteorologist with the mute challenging in Seattle years. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,
National Weather Service, and Portland. will drop to -5 F (-20 C) by
told The Seattle Times. “We Wednesday.
haven’t seen temperatures “We are in particular, con-
like this in the last several cerned about the chance of In Portland in the early part
years.” black ice and other icy con- of the week, overnight tem-
ditions around the city,” said peratures will get down to
Sunday’s snow showers Hannah Schafer of the Port- the low teens.
blew into the Pacific North- land Bureau of Transporta-
west from the Gulf of Alas- tion. State officials in Oregon have