Now, we tried it Art II's way and what happened? 8-8.


Now maybe the lawyer will know his place and leave the football decisions to those who are paid to do it.


Todd Haley's play-calling sucks. He makes Bruce Arians who had issues with tipping plays based on formation look like Einstein. From his micro-management of the run game to his insistence on giving no hopers like David Paulson and Will Johnson snaps it was obvious from day one that this was going to be a failure.


The 3rd down Ben offense was doomed from the start. All it did was set him up to get crunched. And that's what happened. Spare me the OL injuries. Ben was Housini on 3rd down long before the injuries hit. Not to mention the fact that the run game sucked because every freaking run was between the tackles. Also, how many times are we going to line up a RB 8 1/2 yards behind the LOS on 2nd and 3rd and 1 only to see it fail before something changes?


Blaming Ben for the Dallas and Cincy games is the easy way out. Facts are it should have never been that close. Simply put, we don't attack teams anymore. We are so obsessed with resting and preserving the defense's reputation (more on that in a bit) that we sacrifice our offense at the expense of points to do it.


Three examples right off the top:


Antonio Brown's return to the Dallas 50.


Next three plays? Run run pass.


Cortez Allen's pick against the Bengals FINALLY gives the offense a short field.


Next three plays? Run run pass.


First down at the Steelers 46 in a tie game at Cincy.


Next 5 plays?


WR screen (BA got flogged for those btw), run run run Ben scramble, miss a 53 yard FG.


Now be honest with yourselves, if that's Arians calling the same plays what's said? He'd get destroyed and you all know it.


So don't let the local golf pro off the hook.


What's funny though is I don't think Ben and Haley have issues. Do they disagree on playcalling? Probably. Philosophy on offense? Perhaps.


But I think Ben also knows that Haley is only doing what ownership wants. I think Ben realizes that even a puppet has to eat and pay his bills.


If Ben has any beef's, it's with Art. After Art blamed Ben and Arians for 2012, then he sits there and sees Arians in the playoffs you don't think Ben's pissed? Going to be real interesting what Art decides to do if Arians gets a head coaching gig in the NFC (I don't think Art's that dumb to trade him in his own conference).


The status quo can't continue, one of three things must occur.


1. Tomlin is allowed to fire Haley, and hire his own OC. If not, I could see a proud man like Tomlin walking.

2. Art needs to step aside, and allow Haley to run the offense as HE (and not Art II) sees fit.


2. If Haley stays and this is the offense Art AND Haley wants? Then Ben has to go. You can't pay a guy $15 million a year to be Trent Dilfer. To dink and dunk your way on 3rd down all year, and then when that doesn't work all of the sudden in the last two minutes of a game yell "Ben, save us!". It's not fair to Ben, nor is it fair to the rest of the offense, to be handcuffed by the desires of ownership to relive the past. You can't play this way with 6th round picks and un-drafted free agents.

If this is what Art wants them to be? Trade Ben for two #1's, load up on running backs and more defense (Because paying that side of the ball double than what the offense gets to blow 4th quarter leads all year didn't work) and quit the square peg into round holes BS that's going on now.

It's 2013 people, if Art II doesn't realize it? Expect more of the same.