Pittsburgh Steelers Personality on Offense Will be Amplified Under Todd Haley as Offensive Coordinator
Thursday, February 9, 2012
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| KCChiefs.com |
NFL Contributor
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians left the team under suspicious circumstances. First it was reported he was retiring, next he was fired, then Arians claimed he wasn't offered an extension. None of this made Ben Roethlisberger happy.
Roethlisberger has consistently defended Arians over the past and felt the Steelers were on the verge of having an elite offense. Now, the Steelers' offense belongs to new offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
As a head coach, Haley was able to turn around a floundering Chiefs squad and get them to the top of the AFC West in 2010 (insert joke here).
Haley had a great skill-set in Arizona with Kurt Warner at the helm and talented wide receivers—namely Larry Fitzgerald—and put together an elite passing game. Then he had a good running back and good run-blocking line in Kansas City which adjusted his play calling to put together an elite running game. The ability to mold and work with what weapons he has to choose from has made Haley a top play-caller in the NFL.
It seems like part of this hire is about getting a different voice and approach to coaching up players. Arians was more of a good cop and Haley seems more like a bad cop. We have seen this across sports a lot where you fire a players’ coach and hire the complete opposite. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There is no question Arians and Big Ben had a good relationship, but even they had their "bad times."
Big Ben is known to say what is on his mind, not only in the locker room or sidelines, but to the media as well. NFL insiders have been quick to point out that Haley is said to be head-strong and difficult to get along with. So keep a close eye on his interaction with Roethlisberger.
Haley is going to have talent to work with. Rashard Mendenhall is a workhorse back, Mike Wallace has quickly become one of the best receivers in the NFL and we all know what Big Ben can do. This isn’t starting from scratch, or working with a mix of talent. The Steelers have the right parts in place.
Even with Wallace, the Steelers are not a team who are going to win by throwing it up like the Packers or Patriots. This is still a unit whose identity on offense has been smash-mouth football, and they have the perfect running back for it. A run-heavy attack, complemented with down field play action, is perfect for this offense and Haley can run it.
Haley is an outsider despite the fact his father Dick spent nearly 20 years with the Steelers as director of player personnel. He also has an ego, a rather large one. He is a guy in his mid 40s trying to get the considerable stench of the Kansas City firing off of his huge Led Zeppelin t-shirt collection and that is proper motivation to succeed in the NFL.
Haley has strong offensive ideas and strong, sometimes offensive, personality traits. Then again, Pittsburgh fans seem to miss a particular coach with an exuding jaw and fire in his belly but may have one back this year.
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Haley is going to have talent to work with. Rashard Mendenhall is a workhorse back, Mike Wallace has quickly become one of the best receivers in the NFL and we all know what Big Ben can do. This isn’t starting from scratch, or working with a mix of talent. The Steelers have the right parts in place.
Even with Wallace, the Steelers are not a team who are going to win by throwing it up like the Packers or Patriots. This is still a unit whose identity on offense has been smash-mouth football, and they have the perfect running back for it. A run-heavy attack, complemented with down field play action, is perfect for this offense and Haley can run it.
Haley is an outsider despite the fact his father Dick spent nearly 20 years with the Steelers as director of player personnel. He also has an ego, a rather large one. He is a guy in his mid 40s trying to get the considerable stench of the Kansas City firing off of his huge Led Zeppelin t-shirt collection and that is proper motivation to succeed in the NFL.
Haley has strong offensive ideas and strong, sometimes offensive, personality traits. Then again, Pittsburgh fans seem to miss a particular coach with an exuding jaw and fire in his belly but may have one back this year.
Follow National Football Authority: @NFAuthority & AndrewASmith25
For more NFL coverage, follow @NFA_NFL
Don't forget to Like NFA on Facebook here.
Related Stories on NFA:
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