Todd Haley, your new Steelers OC (1 Viewer)

[Copeman]

Last time I remember Todd Haley as a coordinator he helped lead the ARIZONA CARDINALS to the Superbowl and they haven't had a winning season since he left. His father was a Steeler and he also should understand what comes with it. Is he arrogant? Sure. So was Mike Murlarky, so was Ken Whisenhunt, so was Bruce Arians... this is a damn good hire.

The Cards actually had a winning record the following season at 10-6 and made the playoffs while Haley went 4-12 with the Chiefs. All of these below average coaches like Haley look good when they get paired up with a great QB like Warner. So now that Haley is paired up with Big Ben, he'll probably do ok again in spite of the fact that he's not a good coach.

You mean like Belichick's career?

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Last time I remember Todd Haley as a coordinator he helped lead the ARIZONA CARDINALS to the Superbowl and they haven't had a winning season since he left. His father was a Steeler and he also should understand what comes with it. Is he arrogant? Sure. So was Mike Murlarky, so was Ken Whisenhunt, so was Bruce Arians... this is a damn good hire.

The Cards actually had a winning record the following season at 10-6 and made the playoffs while Haley went 4-12 with the Chiefs. All of these below average coaches like Haley look good when they get paired up with a great QB like Warner. So now that Haley is paired up with Big Ben, he'll probably do ok again in spite of the fact that he's not a good coach.

Actually, Warner gives Haley a ton of credit for getting the most out of him and the offense.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Erroneous perceptions dog Haley

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There's a perception out there that Steelers new offensive coordinator Todd Haley is a tyrant. It's one thing to be emotional, a good thing actually in a sport as competitive as football. But many say Haley frequently steps over the line, that he is headstrong, confrontational and difficult to work with and for. Certainly, he will be a giant pain in the butt for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and the players.

There's also a perception that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is a pampered baby. Many say he was too chummy with former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. The two have offseason homes in the same Georgia development. They have golfed together and vacationed together. Certainly, Roethlisberger will chafe under Haley's strong grip and be a detriment to the team after taking advantage of his relationship with Arians and running the offense his way.

Heard it said that perception is reality?

I don't believe it in either case.

Haley has enemies, just as Tomlin does and Bill Cowher did and even Chuck Noll did. All coaches have 'em. They don't have friction-free relationships with all their assistants and players.

It's also beyond dispute that Haley is fiery. He has been caught on tape having sideline arguments with many former players, including Keyshawn Johnson, Terrell Owens, Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Matt Cassel. He even had on-field disputes with former boss Bill Parcells. You might say he's a chip off the Parcells block.

And this is a bad thing?

I say not necessarily.

For more insight I give you a player whose opinion I respect greatly -- Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. He played for Haley when Haley was the Cardinals offensive coordinator in the 2007 and '08 seasons and said this about him late in '10 when Haley was leading the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC West title as their head coach:

"I think Todd is a great coach. He's fun to play for. Everybody says he's a hard ### and this, that and the third, but at the end of the day when Todd came in the locker room he'd give you the biggest hug. He wanted it so bad for us. He prepared so much and he pushed us. I remember after the NFC championship game" -- a 32-25 win by the Cardinals against the Philadelphia Eagles that put Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII against the Steelers after the '08 season -- "he was in tears. Those moments are what I'll remember."

I'm not naïve. I know that endorsement doesn't guarantee Haley will be successful with the Steelers. But it does tell me that Haley isn't always the monster he's portrayed as being. And even if his tough-love coaching style is tougher than most, it doesn't guarantee that his players will hate him and he will fail.

Give the man a chance.

I know Roethlisberger will.

I think it's foolish that many have suggested Roethlisberger is so angry about losing Arians that he will take his football, quit on the Steelers and go home. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Sure, Roethlisberger is close to Arians, who landed as the Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator a week after Steelers president Art Rooney II forced him out last month over the wishes of Tomlin. "We love Bruce," Roethlisberger told NFL Network before Haley was hired. "I love Bruce and have a great relationship. All of the offensive guys do."

It's also true that Roethlisberger, like many of us, isn't thrilled with change. He knows what he had in Arians. He has heard the stories about Haley -- good and bad -- but he has no idea what to expect from him. "It's going to be definitely different for us," Roethlisberger said. "The powers that be make decisions and we live with it and go with it. We'll just have to see where we go from here."

But beyond his fondness for Arians and his fear of change, Roethlisberger is a professional. He's also an extraordinary competitor. He'll learn to like any coach who can help him and his team win.

Quickly.

As for that change business, it's hard to imagine Haley bringing in an entirely new offense. During his time with the Cardinals, his head coach was Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator from '04-'06 and put in much of the offense that the Steelers still use. The transition from Arians to Haley -- at least from an X's and O's standpoint -- should be relatively painless.

The Steelers offense doesn't need an overhaul. It just needs a "tweak," to use the words of Rooney, who, considering the way Arians was removed, might have pushed Tomlin to hire Haley.

In any case, Haley is in a wonderful spot after being fired by the Chiefs in December after a 5-8 start. The Steelers are coming off a 12-4 season and will be a playoff contender every year for as long as Roethlisberger is in his prime and stays healthy. The young wide receivers are terrific and the running backs are solid, especially if Rashard Mendenhall is able to come back from a serious knee injury. The key is the offensive line. Rooney has said he thinks it's plenty good enough if the big guys stay healthy.

Haley has shown he is willing to coach to his team's strengths. With the Cardinals, he had quarterback Kurt Warner throwing the ball all over the field to Fitzgerald and receiver Anquan Bolden. With the Chiefs, he ran it more. It's nice to think he'll be able to use everybody with the Steelers and find a little more of the balance that Rooney seems to want.

Forget the erroneous perceptions.

Haley and the Steelers -- especially Roethlisberger -- have a real chance to be a nice match.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan. More articles by this author

First published on February 8, 2012 at 12:00 am

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208718-87-0.stm#ixzz1lovAMhe8

 

[TwinTurbo]

Last time I remember Todd Haley as a coordinator he helped lead the ARIZONA CARDINALS to the Superbowl and they haven't had a winning season since he left. His father was a Steeler and he also should understand what comes with it. Is he arrogant? Sure. So was Mike Murlarky, so was Ken Whisenhunt, so was Bruce Arians... this is a damn good hire.

The Cards actually had a winning record the following season at 10-6 and made the playoffs while Haley went 4-12 with the Chiefs. All of these below average coaches like Haley look good when they get paired up with a great QB like Warner. So now that Haley is paired up with Big Ben, he'll probably do ok again in spite of the fact that he's not a good coach.

Actually, Warner gives Haley a ton of credit for getting the most out of him and the offense.

It helped that Fitz and Boldin were part of that offense and that they played in the weakest division in the league those two years. Most OC's would kill for a Warner paired with that WR combo and that schedule. Now Haley gets Big Ben, Wallace, Brown and a team that was already a playoff contender without him. It's got to be another dream job for this guy.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Last time I remember Todd Haley as a coordinator he helped lead the ARIZONA CARDINALS to the Superbowl and they haven't had a winning season since he left. His father was a Steeler and he also should understand what comes with it. Is he arrogant? Sure. So was Mike Murlarky, so was Ken Whisenhunt, so was Bruce Arians... this is a damn good hire.

The Cards actually had a winning record the following season at 10-6 and made the playoffs while Haley went 4-12 with the Chiefs. All of these below average coaches like Haley look good when they get paired up with a great QB like Warner. So now that Haley is paired up with Big Ben, he'll probably do ok again in spite of the fact that he's not a good coach.

Actually, Warner gives Haley a ton of credit for getting the most out of him and the offense.

It helped that Fitz and Boldin were part of that offense and that they played in the weakest division in the league those two years. Most OC's would kill for a Warner paired with that WR combo and that schedule. Now Haley gets Big Ben, Wallace, Brown and a team that was already a playoff contender without him. It's got to be another dream job for this guy.

He doesnt really get to control the circumstances. But he can get the most out of players.Warner had been 8-18 as the starting QB of Arizona before Todd Haley took over as OC.

Warner also dropped his sack % by 1/3 (6.4% to 4.4%) after Haley took the OC spot. Which is big in the Ben department.

 

[Shutout]

Good thread.

My first thought was I didn't like this move.

Came in and read the posts and I'm now unsure (good points and counter points in this one).

My biggest concern was that I always ssem to hear that Haley's style was that old school style that really doesn't work in the NFL a lot anymore. It seemed rediculous to me to list a guy like Bowe as a #3 Wr or less on a team that had obviously nothing. So, was it shenanigans that won't work with many people and just happened to work with Bowe or was it motivation? I don't know.

I do know there were a lot of people that thought it was redicuous for him to risk player's health in pre-season games and accused him of leaving them in too long, making them "earn" their way.

At the end of the day, Tomlin has the official oversight and the Steelers are always sound in their decision making, seemingly. However, the best boss in the world CAN have a knucklehead working for them screw things up.

I guess we will see but one things seems obvious: The Steelers ARE going to be different on offense in some way or another because if they were completely happy with the way things were going, they would not have made a change.

So i guess the question that I have the most interest in is "how will the Steelers be different on offense? Who will it impact and how?"

So often, when any team makes a move, a lot of people will just universally say "this is good" and assume that everyone becomes more productive but this is seldom the case. Its really hard to shift the foundation of what your team believes in without sacrificing somewhere else. If the team runs noticeably more, how can they pass as much? If they become more efficient throwing, how can they run as often? something has to give on one side of the balance ledger or another.

Its like the Texans this season. Most people would look at Wade Phillips taking over the defense as "good for everyone". Well, it was...on defense. But the defense improving didn't help the FANTASY asects of the Texans offense. It was great to see the Texans become a better team, but it wasn't as fun fantasy-wise compared to last year (on offense).

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Its like the Texans this season. Most people would look at Wade Phillips taking over the defense as "good for everyone". Well, it was...on defense.

Correct.And his approach is very poor as a Head Coach.

 

[identikit]

Interesting article:

Can't wait for Tomlin's take on Haley

Thursday, February 09, 2012

By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It's probably just as well that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin won't be available for comment at high noon today when the team rolls out new offensive coordinator Todd Haley for his introductory news conference at its South Side compound. Tomlin will be there -- ostensibly to show his support for the Haley hiring -- but will not take questions. This is supposed to be Haley's day. The last thing Tomlin wants to do is upstage him. At a later date, he will face the inquiring minds and try to answer -- or dodge -- questions that are much more significant to the franchise's long-term future than the ones Haley will get about how he thinks his combustible personality will play with a successful team and how he plans to co-exist with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

You don't want to miss the Tomlin news conference.

Can't you just hear the questions?

Do you think former coordinator Bruce Arians did a good job with the offense last season?

Did you want to keep Arians?

How do you feel about your boss telling you that Arians had to go?

Why did you hire Haley?

Did you hire Haley?

That's a lot of dodging.

Tomlin is good at it, among the best in sports, especially with questions he doesn't like. But this batch will be a challenge, especially the ones involving Arians. No one at Steelers headquarters has disputed the report by the Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac that Tomlin told Arians right after the season that he wanted him back and told staff members that Arians would be back. No one, including team president Art Rooney II, has disputed Dulac's report that Rooney II trumped Tomlin and forced out Arians.

The way Arians' exit was handled made Tomlin look weak. How does Tomlin put a positive spin on that?

Certainly by now, Tomlin has a better grip on the company line. He'll put on a smile -- real or otherwise -- when Haley steps to the lectern today. By the time he finally sits down with the media again -- it hasn't happened since the day after the playoff loss against the Denver Broncos -- he probably will make Haley sound like the second coming of Bill Walsh.

"I've admired Todd's work for a long time. You might remember his Arizona bunch gave us fits in Super Bowl XLIII. He's the perfect coach at the perfect time to lead our offense. We will not struggle again in the red zone. We will not finish 21st in the league in points ... "

What?

You expect to hear something else from Tomlin?

"I work for a meddling boss and I don't like it one bit. I've done a wonderful job here. I'm as successful as just about any coach in the NFL. And I can't pick my offensive coordinator? You've got to be kidding me! When is my contract up?"

I could be wrong, but I don't think Tomlin will go there.

At least not publicly.

Hey, all speculation is fair until we hear from Tomlin or more from Rooney. I can't say for sure one way or the other who hired Haley. We might never know. But I do know this: If Rooney forced Haley on Tomlin after forcing out Arians after a 12-4 season, Tomlin can't possibly like it.

Nor should he.

It would be enough to make Tomlin at least consider his long-term future with the Steelers, especially now that Rooney II appears to have taken nearly complete control of the franchise from his father, Dan.

Tomlin has done a wonderful job here. He is as successful as just about any coach in the NFL. In five years, he has convinced me he's a better coach than Bill Cowher before him. And Cowher was terrific.

The Steelers also have been great for Tomlin. The Rooneys gave him a chance to be an NFL coach when he was 34 and the relatively unknown defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. They did so when it would have been a lot easier to promote Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm from Cowher's staff. The Tomlin hiring was not popular with the team's players and many fans. But it turned out to be a tremendous hire.

There aren't better owners in sports than the Rooneys, at least there weren't before this offensive coordinator mess. They stuck with Cowher for 15 seasons, not all of them good. Before that, they had Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for 23 seasons, not all of them good. Other teams change coaches the way men change socks. The Steelers have had three coaches in 43 years. That's incredible support from ownership. Every coach should be so lucky to have it.

I'm guessing Tomlin will have the chance to be here for a long time. I'm just not so sure anymore that he wants to stay.

We're not going to have to wait long to find out.

Steelers.com has reported Tomlin's contract runs through next season with an option for 2013.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan. More articles by this author

First published on February 9, 2012 at 12:00 am

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209034-87-0.stm

 

[treat88]

Hey, all speculation is fair until we hear from Tomlin or more from Rooney. I can't say for sure one way or the other who hired Haley. We might never know. But I do know this: If Rooney forced Haley on Tomlin after forcing out Arians after a 12-4 season, Tomlin can't possibly like it.

The problem I've got with this article and specifically the "Who hired Haley?" discussion is that it is all speculation and dramatization.There is not a shred of actual fact involved.Here is a link to the only thing that Tomlin has said regarding retention or lack thereof of his coordinators. Pertinent part is at the 7:08 mark.http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/01/mike-tomlin-2011-2012-season-ending-press-conference/From this the entirety of the rumor-mongering and FO-rift spin has evolved.Cook, Bouchette, Kaboly etc. are dying for a story and looking for smoke where there is zero evidence of fire.

 

[Godsbrother]

Cook, Bouchette, Kaboly etc. are dying for a story and looking for smoke where there is zero evidence of fire.

 

[monessen]

Cook, Bouchette, Kaboly etc. are dying for a story and looking for smoke where there is zero evidence of fire.

Those doggone writers. Looking for a story. Trying to sell newspapers. How dare they write columns with conjecture, despite the notion Steeler fans want to read about that. After all, the sports media needs to be probing important matters like the Pirates assessing Dmitri Young.For the record, one final time, the following must be incorrect, or an inconvenient truth from this source-- http://steelerstoday.com/

Bruce Arians retires…..and unretires

The Steelers announced that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians had retired. The only problem is that they failed to tell the public that Arians had “retired” because the team refused to renew his contract.

Head coach Mike Tomlin had asked Arians to come back, and Arians had accepted. He even told the other coaches and some of the players (including Ben Roethlisberger) that he’d be returning for another season.

However, Steelers’ president Art Rooney II had other ideas. He didn’t offer Arians a new contract, which is the nice way of saying that he fired him. Instead of announcing that Arians had been fired, the Steelers announced that he had “retired”.

The odd thing about the announcement was that Arians didn’t make the announcement himself, nor did he talk to the press following the announcement.

What made it even more odd (and more obvious what had actually happened), was when Arians unretired 8 days later, when it was announced that he would be joining the Indianapolis Colts as their offensive coordinator.

This is a great opportunity for Arians. He’ll either get to call plays for Peyton Manning, or he’ll get to groom Andrew Luck. Either option would be very appealing to a pass-first offensive coordinator like Arians.

Good luck, Bruce. Despite the hard time that you received from fans (and from me), your offense was one of the most exciting in Steelers’ history.

Tomlin asked Arians back, which is what also Ray Fittipaldo reported in the PPG on Jan 10.

So, isn't it a columnist's task to offer a perspective? Facts? Those are great if someone goes on the record, but I don't think a beat writer like Bouchette would make things up. Moreover, through the years, the Rooneys have been through far more intensive scrutiny than Haley's hiring. Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

 

[Copeman]

Does anyone else care about these inter-office politics, what the media says, what the coaches said, etc....???

All the friggin drama.

I just like me some football.

Can we stop posting about all this soap opera bs?

 

[AmosMoses]

Does anyone else care about these inter-office politics, what the media says, what the coaches said, etc....???All the friggin drama. I just like me some football.Can we stop posting about all this soap opera bs?

Of course you like to ignore events that make your team's owner look like a d-bag.

 

[Copeman]

Does anyone else care about these inter-office politics, what the media says, what the coaches said, etc....???All the friggin drama. I just like me some football.Can we stop posting about all this soap opera bs?

Of course you like to ignore events that make your team's owner look like a d-bag.

What? When and where did I ever say or imply that? Take your juvenile troll crap elsewhere, this is a thread for big boys.

 

[AmosMoses]

Does anyone else care about these inter-office politics, what the media says, what the coaches said, etc....???All the friggin drama. I just like me some football.Can we stop posting about all this soap opera bs?

Of course you like to ignore events that make your team's owner look like a d-bag.

What? When and where did I ever say or imply that? Take your juvenile troll crap elsewhere, this is a thread for big boys.

HOW MANY TEETH YOU GOT????

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Does anyone else care about these inter-office politics, what the media says, what the coaches said, etc....???All the friggin drama. I just like me some football.Can we stop posting about all this soap opera bs?

Of course you like to ignore events that make your team's owner look like a d-bag.

What? When and where did I ever say or imply that? Take your juvenile troll crap elsewhere, this is a thread for big boys.

HOW MANY TEETH YOU GOT????

Easy Gatorboy.Caught Haley's press conference on the radio at lunch. Surprisingly nobody asked him if he'll employ a fullback. Tomlin and Haley each said that they've spent some time together over the past few weeks. Whether that's window dressing or not it doesn't appear that this hire was jammed down Tomlin's throat.

 

[Godsbrother]

Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

I remember this very well and it was quite clear these was a rift between Cowher and Donahoe. The end result was the hiring of Colbert and I think that turned out pretty well.No one is denying that Art Rooney II wanted to be rid of Arians, the question is whether he did so without discussing the matter with Tomlin and Colbert. Unless one of these guys talks directly to the media we'll never really know exactly how all of it went down. I don't see the point in making a big deal out of it.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

FWIW

@jimwexell: Media parses words to fit agenda but ignored Tomlin today when said, "When I started this process of exploring for potential coordinators I talked to a lot of people and did a lot of research. I was really impressed by him."--way of addressing rumor w/o admitting he read it

 

[AmosMoses]

Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

I remember this very well and it was quite clear these was a rift between Cowher and Donahoe. The end result was the hiring of Colbert and I think that turned out pretty well.No one is denying that Art Rooney II wanted to be rid of Arians, the question is whether he did so without discussing the matter with Tomlin and Colbert. Unless one of these guys talks directly to the media we'll never really know exactly how all of it went down. I don't see the point in making a big deal out of it.

I would just like to know why Rooney "retired" Arians. Not renew his contract, fine. But don't piss on the dude after you effectively fire him.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

I remember this very well and it was quite clear these was a rift between Cowher and Donahoe. The end result was the hiring of Colbert and I think that turned out pretty well.No one is denying that Art Rooney II wanted to be rid of Arians, the question is whether he did so without discussing the matter with Tomlin and Colbert. Unless one of these guys talks directly to the media we'll never really know exactly how all of it went down. I don't see the point in making a big deal out of it.

I would just like to know why Rooney "retired" Arians. Not renew his contract, fine. But don't piss on the dude after you effectively fire him.

As if it makes a difference. As if you are entitled to know the inter-office workings of their hiring/firing/retiring practices.

 

[Copeman]

Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

I remember this very well and it was quite clear these was a rift between Cowher and Donahoe. The end result was the hiring of Colbert and I think that turned out pretty well.No one is denying that Art Rooney II wanted to be rid of Arians, the question is whether he did so without discussing the matter with Tomlin and Colbert. Unless one of these guys talks directly to the media we'll never really know exactly how all of it went down. I don't see the point in making a big deal out of it.

I would just like to know why Rooney "retired" Arians. Not renew his contract, fine. But don't piss on the dude after you effectively fire him.

As if it makes a difference. As if you are entitled to know the inter-office workings of their hiring/firing/retiring practices.

Leave him be. He's on a roll.....

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

I trust the Steelers front office to make the right decision.

Smart, there were plenty of Pittsburgh fans that wanted to get rid of Big Ben after his incidents but the Steeler front office saw through all of that and stuck behind Ben while many Pittsburgh fans would have tossed him to the curb. I like this attitude much better from Pittsburgh fans. My hunch is this move will work out fine.

 

[DansRams]

So now I guess Mewelde Moore will get the bulk of the carries with some Mendenhall sprinkled in.

Mewelde Moore might not even be on the team next year...Redman will be the primary back until Mendenhall is healthy.Considering the other apparent options being talked about, I'll gladly take Haley.

Steelers RBs currently under contract for 2012 season:Mendenhall, Redman, Dwyer, Clay, Batch

The point I was trying to make is that Haley tries to force squares through round holes. Haley will play mind games with his players. We all know that Mendenhall is their best runner (even though Redman is coming on). Don't be surprised if Haley starts forcing the ball to a "less talented back" to teach Mendenhall some sort of lesson. This is what he did with Charles. He insisted on trotting Thomas Jones out there to be the starter and get the most touches knowing damn well that Charles was far more talented. Haley brought in Thomas Jones if I'm not mistaken.

Mendenhall is most likely going to be on PUP or out the first 3-4 weeks of the season (he tore his ACL & MCL vs. Denver in Wild Card game), I fully expect an RBBC of some sort with Redman and either a street FA or combo of Redman (60%), Dwyer (25%), Batch (10%) and Clay (5%) until Mendy is back... then probably a 55/35 split between Mendy/Redman (respectively), with the rest going to the gaggle of RB's remaining on roster.

It was only an ACL...lets try to stick with the facts

 

[5-ish Finkle]

"I work for a meddling boss and I don't like it one bit."

If Cook really thinks that's how Tomlin feels about Rooney, he's a bigger baboon than he's ever let on to this point.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

Let's go no Ron Cook for now. And forever.

 

[Bojang0301]

Bruce Arians was gone until the Superbowl appearance two years back. I'm tired of sugercoating it, in all practical terms in my eyes his offense was crap. He was blessed with superior talent and Ben's ability to make something out of nothing and a collapsing death trap of a line. The running game was largely ignored and the FB disappeared in favor of two TE sets with questionable at best no.2 TE's (David Johnson and Matt Speath). WR screen after WR screen. They would get down to the goalline or be trapped down their own one and he would run ####### draws to Mewelde Moore. It was beyond disguisting in some games. Arians is an overrated hack who is drawing way too much sympathy from this board, he was crap in Cleveland too. Indy, you can have him. Good luck.

 

[treat88]

Cook, Bouchette, Kaboly etc. are dying for a story and looking for smoke where there is zero evidence of fire.

Those doggone writers. Looking for a story. Trying to sell newspapers. How dare they write columns with conjecture, despite the notion Steeler fans want to read about that. After all, the sports media needs to be probing important matters like the Pirates assessing Dmitri Young.For the record, one final time, the following must be incorrect, or an inconvenient truth from this source-- http://steelerstoday.com/

Bruce Arians retires…..and unretires

The Steelers announced that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians had retired. The only problem is that they failed to tell the public that Arians had “retired” because the team refused to renew his contract.

Head coach Mike Tomlin had asked Arians to come back, and Arians had accepted. He even told the other coaches and some of the players (including Ben Roethlisberger) that he’d be returning for another season.

However, Steelers’ president Art Rooney II had other ideas. He didn’t offer Arians a new contract, which is the nice way of saying that he fired him. Instead of announcing that Arians had been fired, the Steelers announced that he had “retired”.

The odd thing about the announcement was that Arians didn’t make the announcement himself, nor did he talk to the press following the announcement.

What made it even more odd (and more obvious what had actually happened), was when Arians unretired 8 days later, when it was announced that he would be joining the Indianapolis Colts as their offensive coordinator.

This is a great opportunity for Arians. He’ll either get to call plays for Peyton Manning, or he’ll get to groom Andrew Luck. Either option would be very appealing to a pass-first offensive coordinator like Arians.

Good luck, Bruce. Despite the hard time that you received from fans (and from me), your offense was one of the most exciting in Steelers’ history.

Tomlin asked Arians back, which is what also Ray Fittipaldo reported in the PPG on Jan 10.

So, isn't it a columnist's task to offer a perspective? Facts? Those are great if someone goes on the record, but I don't think a beat writer like Bouchette would make things up. Moreover, through the years, the Rooneys have been through far more intensive scrutiny than Haley's hiring. Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

And also for the last time, there is, without question, an abundance of idle baseless speculation on the topic. I 100% agree with you on that. Its evident on the opinion blog that you linked to and all over social media.What there is not are any actual quotes or comments from FO personnel, coaches, players, staff, ball boys or.....anyone that Arians was ever actually asked back. Not even Arians mentioned anything to that effect. Not a single public comment by someone who might have knowledge of the situation suggesting that there was ever any intent to officially retain Arians. Just Tomlins use of the word anticipate.

Sure, writers write...no problem with that. In this case however they are disseminating opinions and suggesting it is based on something other than their simple personal biases. Then it gains traction and forms public perceptions, again without even a scrap of actual information.

I would live to see an actual sourced quote that Arians was ever offered his position back for the upcoming season by anyone, let alone Tomlin.

 

[PhD]

Roethlisberger shares some thinly veiled opinions.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209184-100.stm

Why can't he just give an ambiguously optimistic party-line statement like every other top QB? Say something like "I have heard a lot of good things from the players that he has coached." leave off the bad and mixed side and start off the right way with your new situation. Instead he says:

"I've gotten a lot of calls and texts and emails from people around the league, both good and bad about him,'' Roethlisberger said during an interview with the Post-Gazette. "Everybody has an opinion, as we all know, and they're letting me know what their interaction with him was -- good, bad and indifferent. I've heard a lot of things and I'm looking forward to meeting him and forming my own opinion."

...Haley was not definitive about his offensive plans during his press conference, just that he would "start with a clean slate.''

"It would probably be easy for him to do," Roethlisberger said about Haley possibly choosing to stick with his offense. "I don't know if it would be easy for us to learn it.

he then comes around a bit...

"I hope we don't have to start over and if we do, you know what, here we go. Let's do it. We'll do it. We're not going to complain about it. But I would hate to have to set certain guys back who are doing so well right now."

So, in other words, 'Haley might want it, but I don't, but I'll be OK with it, but "certain guys" won't be, but let's do it and I won't complain about it, but complain, complain, complain...'

 

[monessen]

Cook, Bouchette, Kaboly etc. are dying for a story and looking for smoke where there is zero evidence of fire.

Those doggone writers. Looking for a story. Trying to sell newspapers. How dare they write columns with conjecture, despite the notion Steeler fans want to read about that. After all, the sports media needs to be probing important matters like the Pirates assessing Dmitri Young.For the record, one final time, the following must be incorrect, or an inconvenient truth from this source-- http://steelerstoday.com/

Bruce Arians retires…..and unretires

The Steelers announced that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians had retired. The only problem is that they failed to tell the public that Arians had retired because the team refused to renew his contract.

Head coach Mike Tomlin had asked Arians to come back, and Arians had accepted. He even told the other coaches and some of the players (including Ben Roethlisberger) that hed be returning for another season.

However, Steelers president Art Rooney II had other ideas. He didnt offer Arians a new contract, which is the nice way of saying that he fired him. Instead of announcing that Arians had been fired, the Steelers announced that he had retired.

The odd thing about the announcement was that Arians didnt make the announcement himself, nor did he talk to the press following the announcement.

What made it even more odd (and more obvious what had actually happened), was when Arians unretired 8 days later, when it was announced that he would be joining the Indianapolis Colts as their offensive coordinator.

This is a great opportunity for Arians. Hell either get to call plays for Peyton Manning, or hell get to groom Andrew Luck. Either option would be very appealing to a pass-first offensive coordinator like Arians.

Good luck, Bruce. Despite the hard time that you received from fans (and from me), your offense was one of the most exciting in Steelers history.

Tomlin asked Arians back, which is what also Ray Fittipaldo reported in the PPG on Jan 10.

So, isn't it a columnist's task to offer a perspective? Facts? Those are great if someone goes on the record, but I don't think a beat writer like Bouchette would make things up. Moreover, through the years, the Rooneys have been through far more intensive scrutiny than Haley's hiring. Cowher won the power struggle with Tom Donahoe a decade ago. And there were folks then denying that a rift even existed.

And also for the last time, there is, without question, an abundance of idle baseless speculation on the topic. I 100% agree with you on that. Its evident on the opinion blog that you linked to and all over social media.What there is not are any actual quotes or comments from FO personnel, coaches, players, staff, ball boys or.....anyone that Arians was ever actually asked back. Not even Arians mentioned anything to that effect. Not a single public comment by someone who might have knowledge of the situation suggesting that there was ever any intent to officially retain Arians. Just Tomlins use of the word anticipate.

Sure, writers write...no problem with that. In this case however they are disseminating opinions and suggesting it is based on something other than their simple personal biases. Then it gains traction and forms public perceptions, again without even a scrap of actual information.

I would live to see an actual sourced quote that Arians was ever offered his position back for the upcoming season by anyone, let alone Tomlin.

And I would like to see an actual sourced quote from either Cowher or Donahoe or Dan Rooney back a decade confirming there was a power struggle resulting in Donahoe's ouster. As Godsbrother noted, it became known, but only because sports media close to the circumstance floated it to the public. That is how it works. Who in the organization is going to go on record refuting Art II? All I'm am citing are 2 sources, presumably close enough to observe and listen, independently reporting on Tomlin and Arians. As journalists, they are closer to it than me. I see no reason for them to fabricate it. If a Chris Mortensen or John Clayton came out with the story, would that have enough credibility to sway skeptics?Sorry. I guess that wasn't the "last time" for me on the topic. But it is now, as Godsbrother is my witness.

 

[Godsbrother]

And I would like to see an actual sourced quote from either Cowher or Donahoe or Dan Rooney back a decade confirming there was a power struggle resulting in Donahoe's ouster.

Ask and you shall receive. Here are quotes from Art Rooney II when Tom Donahoe resigned from the Steelers:

AROUND THE NFL

January 15, 2000|From Associated Press

Tom Donahoe, the Pittsburgh Steelers' director of football operations, resigned under pressure Friday after the Steelers were forced to choose between keeping him or Coach Bill Cowher.

Donahoe, general manager except in name for the last 10 years, has had growing differences with Cowher over the years. He quit only two days after the Steelers announced Cowher was staying.

Neither Cowher nor Donahoe felt they could work together any longer, and each offered to resign. When the Steelers retained Cowher, Donahoe went ahead with the resignation he initially offered shortly after the season ended.

"We said in our discussions, this isn't working, we've got to do something about it," Steeler Vice President Art Rooney II said. "Both men said, 'If I'm the problem, I'll resign.' . . . They both felt it was a problem, and the only solution was for one of them to leave, and in the end we felt that way too."

Asked if the Steelers finally were forced to choose between the two, Rooney said, "In some ways, you could say we looked at it that way."

Steeler President Dan Rooney tried to patch the relationship between Donahoe and Cowher after a 6-10 season, but became convinced early on there wasn't a solution.

"We looked at shuffling some things around and bringing somebody else in to serve as a go-between, but we came to the conclusion that was putting a Band-Aid on something we felt wouldn't work," Art Rooney II said. "So we felt we had to go in this direction."

Link

As you can see it was more than idle speculation by sports reporters...

 

[Fiddles]

How often have Haley's offenses run the no huddle?

 

[Drink G2]

Some questions I'm left wondering about this:

How much does the fact that Mendy will most likely miss most of the season, or at least be a shell of him old self until at least the 2013 season influence the hire?

Can we expect Haley to become a HC again before his three year contract is up?

on the contrary to that if his HC return timetable is longer than 3 years (if ever?), what are the chances we see a happy marriage and Haley sticks around until his 2nd HC chance over possibly multiple contracts (similar to whats going on with Marty Morningweg), seems like alot of head coaches do better the 2nd time around.

Do we see the return to the Steelers roots (more ground based attack that Rooney has alluded to) with Haley?

Where does Kirby Wilson factor into the future of this team? He was the heir apparent to the OC throne it seemed, what is his timeline to return to the team? And will he be the OC following Haley?

my theory is Haley is a stop-gap till the return of Kirby to the team and coincidentally so Haley's return to head coaching ideally. I also think the return to a more ground heavy attack will wait till Kirby is back, who has over a decade of experience as an RB coach including the last 5 in PIT. Kirby also fits the bill as one of those nice in-house promotions that we are used to using.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

I think you can forget about Pittsburgh ever returning to "a ground heavy attack" with the current rules that favor QBs/passing in place. Or at least until they no longer have a legit starting QB.

I think it's pretty clear that the Steelers are more than comfortable being a passing team now. They just want to be able to run the ball when they need to/have to....which in recent seasons hasn't been the case.

 

[sharptongued1]

Reading between the lines a little bit (i.e. pure speculation on my part), you could make the case that it's Ben's head they want Haley to get inside of. Which sort of makes sense - great talent, but a history of high douchery and a guy who clearly isn't killing himself with hard work off the field.

What, do they want Haley to teach Roethlisberger where you can and cannot urinate on a golf course?

 

[Godsbrother]

Reading between the lines a little bit (i.e. pure speculation on my part), you could make the case that it's Ben's head they want Haley to get inside of. Which sort of makes sense - great talent, but a history of high douchery and a guy who clearly isn't killing himself with hard work off the field.

What, do they want Haley to teach Roethlisberger where you can and cannot urinate on a golf course?

These are the kinds of posts that make the Shark Pool so valuable.

 

[Raider Nation]

As a Ben dynasty owner, I'm starting to worry. He still hates Haley's new run-heavy offense, and he's not shy about telling everyone. The good part is, guess who will win a power struggle between a miserable guy nobody can stand and the star player who has two Super Bowl rings?

 

[apalmer]

As a Ben dynasty owner, I'm starting to worry. He still hates Haley's new run-heavy offense, and he's not shy about telling everyone. The good part is, guess who will win a power struggle between a miserable guy nobody can stand and the star player who has two Super Bowl rings?

Not sure where you're getting this. Every time I hear Ben on the radio or see him on TV, he's smiling and talking about how great the offense seems to be. He does make comments about how hard he has to work to learn it, but he's smiling when he says it. My take is that's just Ben being his normal drama queen self.

 

[Raider Nation]

As a Ben dynasty owner, I'm starting to worry. He still hates Haley's new run-heavy offense, and he's not shy about telling everyone. The good part is, guess who will win a power struggle between a miserable guy nobody can stand and the star player who has two Super Bowl rings?

Not sure where you're getting this. Every time I hear Ben on the radio or see him on TV, he's smiling and talking about how great the offense seems to be. He does make comments about how hard he has to work to learn it, but he's smiling when he says it. My take is that's just Ben being his normal drama queen self.

The guys on Total Access were mentioning that every time Ben speaks, he refers to the new run-first offense, and they were surmising that he is not happy about it, despite trying to put a happy face on it. The bottom line is, IF they get behind (aging defense, so it's possible) or IF they are unable to get the run game going, Ben is going to be chucking it around anyway.

 

[apalmer]

As a Ben dynasty owner, I'm starting to worry. He still hates Haley's new run-heavy offense, and he's not shy about telling everyone. The good part is, guess who will win a power struggle between a miserable guy nobody can stand and the star player who has two Super Bowl rings?

Not sure where you're getting this. Every time I hear Ben on the radio or see him on TV, he's smiling and talking about how great the offense seems to be. He does make comments about how hard he has to work to learn it, but he's smiling when he says it. My take is that's just Ben being his normal drama queen self.

The guys on Total Access were mentioning that every time Ben speaks, he refers to the new run-first offense, and they were surmising that he is not happy about it, despite trying to put a happy face on it. The bottom line is, IF they get behind (aging defense, so it's possible) or IF they are unable to get the run game going, Ben is going to be chucking it around anyway.

Got it--they've decided that Ben is smiling, saying good things and looking happy, so he must be unhappy. Makes perfect sense--if you're desperate for a story.Of course, he's talking about the new offense--it's the only thing reporters ask him about. BTW, it's only the press who have decided it's a "run first" offense. Have you heard the way Antonio Brown is gushing about how many great opportunities it has for the WRs?

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

On one hand you have an (alleged) Arians-loving, alcoholic, sexual assualting, motorcycle wrecking, gunslinging QB who likes to run around a bit and find the guy who comes open when the play breaks down.

On the other hand you have an (alleged) mind-gaming, power-tripping, ########, control freak despised by most of his former team, who wants to rush the ball using his worst running backs, and for the QB to stay in the pocket at all times.

What could go wrong?