Todd Haley needs to return in 2014

[hawaiiansteel]

Todd Haley needs to return in 2014

December, 19, 2013
By Scott Brown | ESPN.com

PITTSBURGH -- A significant number of Pittsburgh Steelers fans were ready to run Todd Haley out of Pittsburgh a couple of months ago, blaming him for the slow start of an offense that essentially opened the season with one arm tied behind its back.

Now, I don’t see how the Steelers can’t bring their offensive coordinator back for a third season in 2014.

The offense has steadily improved in 2013, and it has become the biggest reason for optimism that the Steelers can rebound from their first back-to-back non-winning seasons since the late 1990s.

Consider former NFL scout Matt Williamson’s take on the job Haley has done this season.

“I think the best I’ve seen Ben Roethlisberger play is with Todd Haley as his offensive coordinator,” said Williamson, an ESPN NFL analyst. “I think he’s really gotten the most out of Ben Roethlisberger.”

Even most ardent Haley critics might be hard-pressed to dispute that.

Roethlisberger has already established a new Steelers’ season record for completions (340), and the 10th-year veteran is on pace for 4,474 passing yards, which would eclipse the franchise record he set in 2009 for passing yards in a season.

Roethlisberger has never looked more in command, especially when running the Steelers’ no-huddle offense.

Continuity lends itself to that attack running smoothly and the Steelers only have two significant skill players who will be unrestricted free agents after this season, wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery.

An offense that isn’t expected to experience much turnover in the offseason, especially relative to the defense, shouldn’t undergo a lot of coaching changes if it wants to build on this season.

And that starts with Haley.

Roethlisberger himself has said how excited he is over the direction of the offense, something he reiterated on Wednesday.

“I think production has gone up and I think that the mistakes have really come down,” Roethlisberger said. “I think guys enjoy doing it. I’m sure if you ask the receivers they say they like it. Le'Veon [Bell] likes it, mixing in the run and the pass so it’s not just pass-heavy.

"I think just being able to take what Coach gives helps me with and what we, whether it’s [quarterbacks] coach Randy [Fichtner] and coach Todd [Haley], the other quarterbacks, we put so much work in. I know I get a lot of credit, but it’s all of us really. This is a lot about communication.”

[URL]http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/3653/todd-haley-needs-to-return-in-2014[/URL]

[Shawn]

I actually agree. Haley needs to come back. LeBeau? Maybe not.

[Oviedo]

I actually agree. Haley needs to come back. LeBeau? Maybe not.

You state my position exactly. Haley needs to be back. Not so sure LeBeau should not finally give way to Butler.

[Shawn]

You state my position exactly. Haley needs to be back. Not so sure LeBeau should not finally give way to Butler.

Problem is this...LeBeau is beloved. He is the JoPa of D coordinators. He will be allowed to coach here until he is 110. The Rooneys will not force him out. I don't see any major coaching changes coming in the offseason

[Iron Shiek]

I'm sure all the rainbows and unicorns in the quotes at the end of the article likely won't be reported on every major news outlet like when the slightest comment by Big Ben gets turned into him and Haley catfighting.

[Discipline of Steel]

Lets not forget, Big Ben and Haley have the wind at their back this season...so all the broken records might not be as significant as we might initially think. Based on the recent rule changes to promote offense, the NFL seems to be setting new records every week for most yards passed, most TDs, highest scoring, and most greatest of all time players. With that said, I think Haley sticks around unless he Fs up again during the off-season.

[pittpete]

I have to admit that i was not a Haley supporter in the beginning.
Seems the offense is clicking now so it would be counter productive to change OC's.

LeBeau's defense has been in decline for the better part of 2 years.
Sacks are down, turnovers down, big plays allowed have gone up.
I think it's time for Butler to take over for the genius.

[NorthCoast]

I have to admit that i was not a Haley supporter in the beginning.
Seems the offense is clicking now so it would be counter productive to change OC's.

LeBeau's defense has been in decline for the better part of 2 years.
Sacks are down, turnovers down, big plays allowed have gone up.
I think it's time for Butler to take over for the genius.

and why would that be??

Casey Hampton ... gone
James Farrior ..... gone
James Harrison .... gone
Larry Foote........... out
Brett Keisel .......... missed 1/4 of season

seems LeBeau has a good excuse for not fielding a competitive defense this season...

[pittpete]

and why would that be??

Casey Hampton ... gone
James Farrior ..... gone
James Harrison .... gone
Larry Foote........... out
Brett Keisel .......... missed 1/4 of season

seems LeBeau has a good excuse for not fielding a competitive defense this season...

What was his excuse last year?
Don't tell me about the #1 ranking, because the way that is calculated is a total farce.
Is he your great grandpa or something?

[NorthCoast]

What was his excuse last year?
Don't tell me about the #1 ranking, because the way that is calculated is a total farce.
Is he your great grandpa or something?

Not sure what matters to you but last year's #5 scoring defense says something to most people. 8 of 10 teams with equal or better scoring defense last season were in the playoffs... the difference is those teams had offenses that could put points on the board and the Steelers didn't. I find it amusing so many people can point to lack of talent and age of players in the secondary, yet blame LeBeau for not fielding a better team. Give him young hungry players and see what he can do with them on the field.