Pittsburgh Steelers fans can check one item off of their off-season wish list. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner will not be back with the team in 2021. Fichtner wasn’t fired; his contract expired at the end of the season. Rather, he simply will not be offered a new contract by the Steelers.
The #Steelers are parting ways with OC Randy Fichtner, source said. His contract won't be renewed.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2021
Randy Fichtner Out as Steelers Offensive Coordinator
Randy Fichtner had a very unsuccessful season in his last with Pittsburgh. After an 11-0 start, the team fell apart over the last six games of the season (including playoffs), and many of the struggles can be put on the offense. The Steelers had the worst rushing offense in the NFL this year, ranking dead last in both yards per game and yards per carry. Part of that blame falls on the players. But, the team ran the ball successfully early in the season. Clearly, the talent was there to have success on the ground, but the play calling and game plans sure didn’t help.
Pittsburgh ranked in the bottom 1o of the NFL in yards per game this year. Their third down conversion rate was 14th in the league, an area in which they exceled in previous seasons. They ranked outside the top ten in red zone offense, too, a statistic in which they led the NFL in 2018. The biggest frustration with the Steelers offense, though, was their ineptitude in short yardage situations. In goal-t0-go situations or short yardage third and fourth downs, the offense was horrible. So many times, they couldn’t gain just one yard in crucial situations.
The passing offense had its struggles too. Constantly throwing short routes resulted in Pittsburgh having more passes batted at the line of scrimmage than any other team. Many of the batted passes were intercepted. The team had their most passing success in hurry-up situations. Several players referenced that Ben Roethlisberger was calling the plays during the times that their offense was most successful. If the quarterback is a better play caller than the offensive coordinator, it’s a sign that it’s time for change. Pittsburgh made the change, and Randy Fichtner is out.
