Matt Canada ready for first glimpse of Ben Roethlisberger running Steelers offense

The concepts that first-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada has introduced to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be put on display Saturday night at Heinz Field.

Sure, it will be a scaled-back version of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense that Roethlisberger runs when he makes his preseason debut against the Detroit Lions. The Steelers aren’t going to unwrap all of the trappings that Canada is bringing to the system until the season opens Sept. 12 at Buffalo.

Still, it will be the first chance for players, fans and coaches to see how efficiently the 39-year-old quarterback has grasped Canada’s offense since it first began to take shape at organized team activities in May.

“I think Ben is right where he wants to be,” Canada said Tuesday after practice. “He’s playing very well, he’s worked extremely hard to bring along the guys up front. We have a young guy in the backfield, a young guy at tight end. … He’s worked extremely hard to get everyone on the same page.”

At the start of camp, Roethlisberger wasn’t sure he was on the same chapter – let alone the same page — as Canada in terms of knowing the verbiage of the offense. It was a departure from the familiar terminology he used when Randy Fichtner and Todd Haley were offensive coordinators.

On the first day of training camp, Roethlisberger said he was “not even close” to feeling comfortable calling the offensive plays and pointed to the frequency he had to check the play sheet on his wrist. Canada believes the 18-year veteran has found his comfort zone in recent weeks.

“The few changes we’ve had in our offense, the tweaks we’ve had in terminology, he’s embraced those and learned them and is teaching everyone else around him,” Canada said.

That includes the quarterbacks competing for the No. 2 job.

“Everyone has got that stuff down,” Canada said. “We’re executing at a high level and, obviously, we’re trying to build a little more every day here and there. Now, it’s our players making plays.”

Mason Rudolph entered training camp as Roethlisberger’s backup and started each of the first two preseason games. But Dwayne Haskins directed the offense to 33 points combined against Dallas and Philadelphia, while Rudolph’s first start was hurt by a fumble and the second by penalties. And Josh Dobbs directed a touchdown drive in the Hall of Fame Game before throwing an interception against the Eagles.

“We feel very comfortable, but it’s been fun to watch the guys push,” Canada said. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. There’s nothing wrong with challenging. (Having) a respectful challenge is always great. Everybody should want to be the starter. Everybody should want that role, but also handle the role once it is given to you.”

With the Week 3 preseason game viewed as a dress rehearsal for the opener, the Steelers structured their practice week to resemble a regular-season setting. In practice Tuesday, Roethlisberger ran the offense against the second-team defense.

It remains to be seen whether Haskins is the first quarterback off the bench against the Lions. Nothing the former Washington first-round draft pick has done in the preseason has hurt his standing among coaches, and Canada is looking forward to monitoring Haskins’ continued progression.

“I’m pleased with the way he’s come in and attacked his work,” Canada said. “From Day 1, he’s come into the office, learned the offense, really worked hard to watch things we’ve done here over a long history of years with Ben.

“He’s watched what Ben does, watched how he reads plays and he’s come in very much learning and watching all the quarterback, and looking at what Ben is doing. It shows maturity that he wants to learn. It’s a different offense than he’s been in before. I like being around him.”