Steelers interim OC on fired Matt Canada: 'We let him down' - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — The promotion to interim offensive coordinator is bittersweet for Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner.

Faulkner, who has been on staff in Pittsburgh since 2019, is close friends with fired OC Matt Canada.

«I couldn't say enough good about Matt Canada,» said Faulkner, who first worked with him at Northern Illinois in 2011. «It's a little bit bittersweet in that way because when you sit back and you see all that goes on, and all that's being said about him and the offense, we all — and I'm speaking for the offense when I say this to staff — we all felt that we're all part of that. Nobody's absolving themselves from anything that's happened in that regard. We feel like we let him down.

»I got to say that because that's what a real one would do. That's a friend of mine, and that's not going to change."

Coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week that he made the change because improvements to the offense weren't «rapid enough or consistent enough» to proceed with Canada.

On Thursday, Faulkner said there wouldn't necessarily be any significant tactical shift to the offense over the final seven games of the season.

«You can't, you know what I mean?» he said. «Here we are in the middle of the season. I mean you got to roll with what we've been doing, putting game plans together, what our guys can execute. We're going to continue to do that.»

Tomlin said he selected Faulkner to lead the offense because of his «steady voice and demeanor» and «natural» communication in conducting the running backs room.

Faulkner said that comes from growing up in a household where his mom was an educator.

«For me that's always been the deal,» Faulkner said, «being able to affect lives, being involved with those guys