The Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Browns this weekend had a lasting impact as the team fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Giving up on the OK two days before Thanksgiving is an interesting approach, especially at 6-4, but their poor offensive performance against Cleveland may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Aside from a sensational 74-yard run by Jaylen Warren, the Steelers looked toothless and scored just one touchdown in their 13-10 loss.
There’s a reason a winning team keeps their OC, with the Ravens defeating Cam Cameron in 2012 while at 9-3.
They brought in Jim Caldwell and won the Superbowl.
However, it’s a tough time for Canada, who probably would have stayed put if the team had won a hard-fought game and gone 7-3.
In sports the margins are thin and the difference between winning, losing and getting fired is razor thin.
Coach Mike Tomlin said in a prepared statement. “I appreciate Matt’s hard work and dedication and wish him the best in his career.”
However, getting suspended right before Thanksgiving isn’t great, but that’s life in the big leagues.
AFC North Week 11 Recap: Ravens, Browns create separation
Major injuries across the division have created uncertainty.
Week 11 of the AFC North was a big week as all four teams played each other and the results were impressive.
The Ravens widened the gap between the top and bottom of the division, opening up a three-game lead over the Bengals.
In mid-table, the Browns have overtaken the Steelers for the first time in weeks.
A series of injuries, notable injuries across the division, have clouded things. Joe Burrow has joined Deshaun Watson with a season-ending injury, meaning the Browns and Bengals are now both at a disadvantage at starting quarterbacks.
The Ravens lost All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews to an ankle injury and he is now out indefinitely and will likely miss the rest of the year.
Updated rankings:
Baltimore Ravens
Result: Victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-20
After a disappointing loss to the Browns last week, the Ravens bounced back with a 14-point win over the Bengals in prime time.
This gave the Ravens their first series win against Cincinnati since 2020. With a 3-2 record against AFC opponents, they are now over .500 in the division this year.
The Ravens struck first with an opening touchdown before faltering a bit offensively in the first and second quarters.
Then, after trailing 10-7, they scored touchdowns on seven straight plays in less than five minutes to take a 21-10 halftime lead.
This happened after Joe Burrow was injured and retired, after which the Ravens beat the Bengals 27-10.
Despite suffering an ankle injury midway through the game, Lamar Jackson threw two touchdowns with over 300 all-purpose yards. Several of Jackson’s 16 completions resulted in big gains, as he completed separate passes of 51, 33 and 37 yards to three different receivers.
The Ravens also totaled 157 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Baltimore’s offense averaged 8.6 yards per pass and 6.8 yards per play, resulting in 22 first downs and just over 400 yards of total offense.
They will now face the challenge of continuing to produce without the services of Andrews, who is Jackson’s favorite target in the passing game.
Cincinnati Bengals
Result: loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 20-34
After a painful loss to the Houston Texans in Week 10, the Bengals were unable to get back into the win column.
As a result, they now find themselves .500 and above out of the playoff picture.
Their postseason hopes appear to be dwindling further given Burrow’s injury status.
Midway through the second quarter, the Bengals took a 10-7 lead over the Ravens. Burrow injured his wrist on his touchdown pass to Joe Mixon and was unable to play again.
Backup quarterback Jake Browning took the reins and led twice in the second half, but the Bengals were outscored by several touchdowns without Burrow.
Cincinnati’s defense continued to struggle to prevent big plays while the Ravens’ offense was able to make several big gains, especially through the air.
The Bengals made just 2 of 11 third-down attempts, while the Ravens converted 50 percent of their 12 attempts.
The Bengals found some success running the ball as they averaged 5.9 yards per carry and gained 136 total yards.
However, that meant little as they made up ground starting at half-time. Despite running just one fewer play, the Ravens recorded more than 100 fewer yards.
Cleveland Browns
Result: victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 13-10
The Browns won a predictably scrappy, low-scoring game against the Steelers, with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson starting in his second game of the season.
In doing so, the Browns defeated the Ravens and Steelers in consecutive games for the first time in franchise history – and also improved to a solid 7-3 record.
Cleveland’s 50-yard, seven-play touchdown run midway through the first quarter proved key. It ended up being their only touchdown of the day.
A basket before halftime gave them a 10-0 lead going into the final two quarters.
The Steelers eventually erased their deficit, tying the score at 10-10 apiece midway through the fourth quarter.
The Browns punted the ball six times in the second half and threw one interception.
However, on their final drive of the game, they drove 48 yards in just over a minute to get within field goal range.
With two seconds remaining, Dustin Hopkins scored his second straight game-winning field goal from 34 yards out.
Averaging 3.5 yards per play, going 4 of 17 on third down, and losing the turnover battle usually doesn’t lead to winning the football.
Unsurprisingly, though, the Browns defense squashed moves. They allowed just 12 first downs and 249 yards. Pittsburgh Steelers
Result: loss to Cleveland Browns, 10-13
The Steelers’ two-game winning streak was snapped in Cleveland and they failed to sweep the season series over the Browns.
After scoring 20-plus points in consecutive weeks leading up to Sunday, Pittsburgh’s offensive problems returned in a big way.
They scored 10 points or fewer for the fourth time this season.
In the first half, the Steelers punted the ball four straight times and fell behind by 10 points.
Jaylen Warren’s 74-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter was the team’s only real offensive highlight of the game.
Warren had over 100 yards and a score for the second straight game and is now averaging 6.2 yards per carry this season.
Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough. Aside from a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter, the Steelers scored five more punts in the second half.
They went 3-of-14 on third-down conversion attempts and won 12 first downs on 13 total drives.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett’s struggles continued as he completed 15 passes for just 106 total yards.
On Tuesday morning, the Steelers announced they were firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
