Kenny Pickett on Steelers OC change - 'A challenge to everybody' - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Like many of his teammates, quarterback Kenny Pickett wasn't expecting the Pittsburgh Steelers to make a significant change to the offense following their 13-10 loss at the Cleveland Browns.

Yet, he woke up Tuesday morning to his phone buzzing non-stop and saw the news that coach Mike Tomlin fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

«I wasn't aware of any moves that were going to be made,» Pickett said Wednesday. "… You hate to see it. You don't want to see one of your coaches lose their job. We all got to be better. Called coach [Canada], wished him well. We had a great conversation, but you got to bounce back quick and get ready to go."

Canada's dismissal, Pickett said, feels like a challenge of sorts to the offense to step up in the final seven games of the season.

«It's a challenge to everybody,» Pickett said. «I feel like you have to take it personal. It's a guy you've worked with since I got drafted here, you want to play great, you don't want to see anyone get let go like that. So absolutely we have to answer the bell, find out what we need to do to play better and then just go take care of business.»

Center Mason Cole echoed Pickett's sentiments.

«Him losing his job and being fired is on all of us,» Cole said. «It's on all the coaches and all the players. We weren't good enough for him to keep his job, and that falls on not just him on all the us. But we have to take that as it goes. And we play a division game here in five days, so the train will keep moving. I'm looking forward to doing a battle with these guys and just kind of putting this behind us and looking forward and having fun.»

Though there's a change to the person making the calls, Pickett doesn't expect a dramatic shift in the offense