How come I don't hear Haley's name in all this????

**feltdizz** · 12-10-2012, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by phillyesq

I'd say that he has utilized Heath Miller pretty well. He's also utilized Wallace well, but Wallace has failed to make the plays he needs to.

I'm not sure he is utilizing Wallace well or if it's Ben extending plays and finding Wallace sandlot style... I also think Wallace is receiving too much blame for our woes on offense.

I know he wants big money and it's easy to point to him as the reason we keep losing to bad teams but it's more than him IMO. I would like to see more passes in the 10 to 15 yard area and less 3 yard slants on 3rd and 8.

**phillyesq** · 12-10-2012, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by feltdizz

I'm not sure he is utilizing Wallace well or if it's Ben extending plays and finding Wallace sandlot style... I also think Wallace is receiving too much blame for our woes on offense.

I know he wants big money and it's easy to point to him as the reason we keep losing to bad teams but it's more than him IMO. I would like to see more passes in the 10 to 15 yard area and less 3 yard slants on 3rd and 8.

Oh, Wallace is far from the only problem and certainly not the cause of the offensive woes. The ground game did nothing to help this week, either.

But I think some of the ways that Haley uses Wallace make a lot of sense. For example, I like the heavy formation where Wallace is the only receiver. Haley has thrown deep from the formation, forcing defenses to respect the deep pass while also providing a strong run option.

A few more mid-range routes would be nice to see, especially from play actoin, but the lack of a running game makes play action difficult right now.

**ikestops85** · 12-10-2012, 05:47 PM

I think the offense was just starting to heat up when Ben went down. What Haley has brought is a ball control offense that make it easier for us to convert on 3rd down. Too many times with BA we were 3rd and long. With Haley we have more 3rd and 3's or 3rd and 4's. I like this offense because it has to be frustrating for our opponents to watch us convert the 3rd downs time after time. We keep their offense off the field and rest our defense.

This game certainly wasn't Haley's best called game but I don't think anyone played great on the Steelers. It was obvious that Ben was rusty, the running game was non-existant and the penalties creeped back into our game. I was not a fan of the Haley hire but he is winning me over. I look forward to him developing that offense more and more. Especially in the redzone.

**NorthCoast** · 12-10-2012, 08:28 PM

My guess is that Haley shortened the offense even more against SD in order to protect Ben's rib. Chargers played balls-out daring Ben to make a play. He just couldn't make enough of them. Add in zero help with running game and it spelled disaster for the O.

**Mister Pittsburgh** · 12-10-2012, 09:01 PM

Ben missed 3.25 games and first backup QB is injured before the close of his first start
37 year old 3rd string QB forced into action
Brown missed multiple games
Sanders busted his shoulder up last game
Cotchery misses multiple games
Top WR in Wallace holds out and has dropped at least one big pass every game
Season starting RT missed most the season, rookie replaces him
Rookie RT Adams fills in, then gets injured leaving another rookie to fill in
Season starting LG has missed half the season and is now out the remainder
Pro Bowl C moves to LG
Career backup now starting at C
Pro Bowl caliber TE has to stay in quite often to help RT
Franchise RB enters season injured so two average RB's forced to start
The two average backs suffer injuries until franchise RB returns for two games
Franchise back is benched

No idea why our offense would struggle or why an OC in his first year building our offense around our talent would struggle to find any continuity week to week. He must suck cause we aren't firing on all cylinders.

**feltdizz** · 12-10-2012, 09:28 PM

Not trying to hear the injury excuses... its football and every other team has to deal with injuries.

**fezziwig** · 12-10-2012, 10:44 PM

I too agree Haley hasn't developed as a OC or has had his troops develope beyond what we have been seeing all season. At times they make it work well of what they do but, there is nothing to gush over with Haleys offense. He's too basic with the offense or something. He's still better than Arians in my opinion.

**NorthCoast** · 12-10-2012, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by feltdizz

Not trying to hear the injury excuses... its football and every other team has to deal with injuries.

There are injuries, and then there are INJURIES. Teams that have a lot of injuries also have bad records. Case in point, Bears OL has been decimated and they are now 1-4 in last 5 games. Coaches can only do so much with 2nd and 3rd string players that are forced into starting.
The Steelers lose their No. 1 CB and the balance was upset and their secondary looks completely lost.

**Slapstick** · 12-10-2012, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by feltdizz

Not trying to hear the injury excuses... its football and every other team has to deal with injuries.

True.

This is why the Steelers, at 7-6, have an excellent chance at a playoff berth...

At this point, the Steelers could still win the division...

**feltdizz** · 12-11-2012, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by NorthCoast

There are injuries, and then there are INJURIES. Teams that have a lot of injuries also have bad records. Case in point, Bears OL has been decimated and they are now 1-4 in last 5 games. Coaches can only do so much with 2nd and 3rd string players that are forced into starting.
The Steelers lose their No. 1 CB and the balance was upset and their secondary looks completely lost.

..and with INJURIES we played the Rats close... with a few injuries we lost to da Raida's, Titans and struggled to beat KC.

Also remember, we aren't talking about losing to good teams... we are talking about losing/struggling vs BAD teams.