'I love what Coach Canada did with this offense:' Bill Cowher talks Steelers, QBs, and AFC North
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's Bengals' week and Steelers fans surely have a fond memory of one of Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Cowher's most infamous moments.
Cowher: WHO DEY?!
Team: WE DEY!
Cowher: WHO DEY?!
Team: WE DEY!
The postgame chant came after the Steelers eliminated the Bengals in the playoffs during what became a Super Bowl run.
"Ironically, that was my last game [in Cinncinnati] as the Steelers head coach, it was a win in Cincinnati, even on Sundays now with Boomer and I getting together, we had a meeting the other day and he's all hyped up about his Cincinnati Bengals, so we'll see," Cowher told KDKA's Bob Pompeani.
Coach Cowher joined Pomp for some Steelers talk ahead of the team's week one matchup with the defending AFC champion Bengals and they discussed the upcoming season and what many can expect from them.
"I think Coach Tomlin does a very good job every year of not just picking up where they left off, but they start off and you look at the way they go about their business, they prepare every year to prove something to themselves," Cowher said.
For the first time since 2004, the Steelers will have a starting quarterback not named Ben Roethlisberger.
Following Ben's retirement, the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky and then drafted Kenny Pickett.
That fact doesn't have Cowher looking negatively upon the Steelers' season.
"For the first time in what, 18 years, a guy not named Ben Roethlisberger is going start at quarterback, that's a lot of excitement," he said.
He also referenced upgrades on an already stout defense, especially the addition of Myles Jack who he called "a great upgrade."
Always a Pittsburgher, Cowher shares some of the same concerns we do with the team.
"The big question, obviously, is the offensive line, but I think they can do some things offensively that lets them come along slowly," Cowher said.
Even with questions on the offensive line, Cowher expressed confidence in Trubisky taking on the role of QB1, especially having to follow a career as illustrious as Ben Roethlisberger's.
"It was his job to lose more or less and he did nothing more than solidify his position and I don't think there's a quick hook as some people may think," he said. "He's played in the National Football League, he's played in these types of games. You're going on the road against the defending AFC champions, this is a game that a veteran needs to come in and take control."
Trubisky was also voted on by his teammates as a captain for the offense and for Cowher, it showed that he's a leader on the team and speaks volumes about his character.
So to Cowher, the offense will develop slowly.
He credited Matt Canada with building his offense to the strength of the roster, with running plays, play-action, and having an elusive quarterback once again.
"His ability, his elusiveness, his athleticism, and I love what Coach Canada did with this offense, at least in the preseason and I know we'll see a lot more and I'm sure they were hiding a lot of things, but it seems like an offense that was built around the running game and the play-action game," Cowher said.
The drafting of Kenny Pickett has plenty of Pittsburghers asking when he will become the Steelers starting quarterback, but if there's one person who knows about having a talented, rookie quarterback on their roster, it's Coach Cowher. He had Ben Roethlisberger in his rookie year and was forced to start him due to injury.
The rest, as they say, is history.
"I think you put him in there if he's your only option," he said. "All three of these quarterbacks played well in preseason. The one thing Kenny Pickett will see as he prepares and gets on the sideline is the speed of the game during the regular season, opening day, that kind of excitement, you aren't going to simulate that in practice, you aren't going to simulate that in the preseason."
How does Cowher see the AFC North playing out?
"The one thing you can't diminish is the Cincinnati Bengals," he said. "They won the AFC Championship, they were 4-2 in the division, they beat the Steelers twice, and they've improved their offensive line, which was the only weakness you saw from them a year ago. They're going to be a formidable foe, they are, to me, the team to beat in the division."
As expected, as Coach Tomlin said, it's "hot in the North" and Cowher agrees, citing the Ravens as another tough opponent who has improved and was on the losing end of close games a year.
With running quarterbacks, strong running backs, and a wealth of talent, there's one thing the Steelers need.
"That's the one thing we need to see improvement this year with the Steelers is that run defense, you look at the AFC North, Mixon [in Cinncinnati] a big part of when they beat Pittsburgh last year, the running game had over 100 yards in both games. Baltimore is built on the running game. With Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, you know that's what they're going up in Cleveland."
Coach Cowher left us with just one hint for his upcoming Super Bowl prediction he'll make this Sunday.
"Just look at my shirt that I have on today for one of the teams."
You can watch Cowher's full conversation with Pomp above!