Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

[Slapstick]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

And I'm not so sure Arians wouldn't call that play in that situation. You obviously don't have a good recollection of the playoff game against Jax a few years back. Not that much of a stretch.


Rockon

Yes, yes it is a huge stretch...

[rockonsteel]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

And I'm not so sure Arians wouldn't call that play in that situation. You obviously don't have a good recollection of the playoff game against Jax a few years back. Not that much of a stretch.


Rockon

Yes, yes it is a huge stretch...

It's called hyperbole. You're taking it way too literal my friend.

But since you did.....

Again, you obviously missed the playoff game against Jacksonville, when BA ran Ben on a naked bootleg on 3rd and 7 with an opportunity to close the game out with a first down. I guess it was execution that caused that play to fail. This after Ben carved their defense the entire second half of that game. I'll say it again, with BA as the OC, not that much a stretch at all.


Rockon

[Slapstick]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

It's called hyperbole. You're taking it way too literal my friend.

But since you did.....

Again, you obviously missed the playoff game against Jacksonville, when BA ran Ben on a naked bootleg on 3rd and 7 with an opportunity to close the game out with a first down. I guess it was execution that caused that play to fail. This after Ben carved their defense the entire second half of that game. I'll say it again, with BA as the OC, not that much a stretch at all.


Rockon

Wrong again...it is a huge stretch...Huge...

And, though at the time I wish I had missed that game, I didn't...I was there...

[feltdizz]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

[quote=rockonsteel]

This is about as cocky as it gets and probably why the offense is so slow to adjust - dude is way too stubborn and full of himself...

"There's never a doubt when I call a play that it will be successful," Arians said. "It's just a matter of us executing against the defense."

I believe all coaches call plays they believe will work. They will not call plays if they don't believe will work.

There is a difference between believing a play will work and saying there never is a doubt and the only issue is execution.

A play's success boils down to execution by the players.

I submit that playcalling is every bit as important as execution to the success of an offense.

I will again cite the following example:

If it's 4th and 15, team down by 6 under a minute in the game at opponents' 25 yd. line. The OC calls a QB sneak, and it gains 2 yds., the ball goes to the other team, game over. But, the play called was executed to perfection. That play is designed to gain 1-2 yds when it is blocked perfectly. So, in that instance, it's the playcalling, not the execution that was responsible for the offense failing.

So, to make a blanket statement that "A play's success boils down to execution by the players", I can counter with a similar statement of, "an offense's success boils down to the playcallers ability to put them in position to succeed".



Rockon[/quote:zdmct72j]

That has to be the dumbest analogy ever.

[feltdizz]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

And I'm not so sure Arians wouldn't call that play in that situation. You obviously don't have a good recollection of the playoff game against Jax a few years back. Not that much of a stretch.


Rockon

Yes, yes it is a huge stretch...

It's called hyperbole. You're taking it way too literal my friend.

But since you did.....

Again, you obviously missed the playoff game against Jacksonville, when BA ran Ben on a naked bootleg on 3rd and 7 with an opportunity to close the game out with a first down. I guess it was execution that caused that play to fail. This after Ben carved their defense the entire second half of that game. I'll say it again, with BA as the OC, not that much a stretch at all.


Rockon

It was execution that caused the play to fail. I'm pretty sure Starks or whoever was out their either went to far or Ben ran on the wrong side of him on that play.

I remember a few people saying if we executed it correctly it would have worked.

We also had 3 INT's in the first half of that game... was that execution?

The problem with being an OC is every play that doesn't work proves he is an idiot.

[rockonsteel]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

And I'm not so sure Arians wouldn't call that play in that situation. You obviously don't have a good recollection of the playoff game against Jax a few years back. Not that much of a stretch.


Rockon

Yes, yes it is a huge stretch...

It's called hyperbole. You're taking it way too literal my friend.

But since you did.....

Again, you obviously missed the playoff game against Jacksonville, when BA ran Ben on a naked bootleg on 3rd and 7 with an opportunity to close the game out with a first down. I guess it was execution that caused that play to fail. This after Ben carved their defense the entire second half of that game. I'll say it again, with BA as the OC, not that much a stretch at all.


Rockon

It was execution that caused the play to fail. I'm pretty sure Starks or whoever was out their either went to far or Ben ran on the wrong side of him on that play.

I remember a few people saying if we executed it correctly it would have worked.

We also had 3 INT's in the first half of that game... was that execution?

The problem with being an OC is every play that doesn't work proves he is an idiot.

Maybe to the typical idiot fan who doesn't know **** about the game. If you ever watched a game with me you would see that I express pleasure/displeasure with a play in spite of the result. I don't do the "if it works it's good, if it doesn't it's bad thing". Got way too much knowledge of the game for that.

Furthermore, the play in question from the Jacksonville game was one of the dumbest playcalls ever! PERIOD!! That's not hindsight. If you think execution is the reason that play failed, then you know less about the game than I gave you credit for.

The real problem with being an OC is, that if you're not very good at it, the whole world will see it. Therefore, when things go wrong, people will break out the guns and blast said OC. BA deserves all the shots he has taken in past years. He has been better this year. Not perfect but better.


Rockon

[BURGH86STEEL]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

[quote=rockonsteel]

This is about as cocky as it gets and probably why the offense is so slow to adjust - dude is way too stubborn and full of himself...

"There's never a doubt when I call a play that it will be successful," Arians said. "It's just a matter of us executing against the defense."

I believe all coaches call plays they believe will work. They will not call plays if they don't believe will work.

There is a difference between believing a play will work and saying there never is a doubt and the only issue is execution.

A play's success boils down to execution by the players.

I submit that playcalling is every bit as important as execution to the success of an offense.

I will again cite the following example:

If it's 4th and 15, team down by 6 under a minute in the game at opponents' 25 yd. line. The OC calls a QB sneak, and it gains 2 yds., the ball goes to the other team, game over. But, the play called was executed to perfection. That play is designed to gain 1-2 yds when it is blocked perfectly. So, in that instance, it's the playcalling, not the execution that was responsible for the offense failing.

So, to make a blanket statement that "A play's success boils down to execution by the players", I can counter with a similar statement of, "an offense's success boils down to the playcallers ability to put them in position to succeed".



Rockon[/quote:2tjkc8p2]
I understanding that play calling has it's place. Good/bad play calling is subjective. My opinion is that play calling is not as important as execution. Your analogy went way off the deep end.

My response was made with the assumption that people understood that coaches call most plays based on a given down and distance or other factors. Sometimes play calls change based on different factors. Some of those factors are location on the field, score of the game, the defense, ect.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

And I'm not so sure Arians wouldn't call that play in that situation. You obviously don't have a good recollection of the playoff game against Jax a few years back. Not that much of a stretch.


Rockon

Yes, yes it is a huge stretch...

It's called hyperbole. You're taking it way too literal my friend.

But since you did.....

Again, you obviously missed the playoff game against Jacksonville, when BA ran Ben on a naked bootleg on 3rd and 7 with an opportunity to close the game out with a first down. I guess it was execution that caused that play to fail. This after Ben carved their defense the entire second half of that game. I'll say it again, with BA as the OC, not that much a stretch at all.


Rockon

It was execution that caused the play to fail. I'm pretty sure Starks or whoever was out their either went to far or Ben ran on the wrong side of him on that play.

I remember a few people saying if we executed it correctly it would have worked.

We also had 3 INT's in the first half of that game... was that execution?

The problem with being an OC is every play that doesn't work proves he is an idiot.

Ben would had made the first down if Essex made his block.

[flippy]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

I'm calling BS on BA's good year.

He's pretty much the same as always. Uses lots of formations. Calls lots of plays that take ages to develop. And goes uber conservative with a lead.

Seriously, what's changed about BA?

About the only difference in his play calling that I've seen is the game he called against NE. And he allowed Ben to get rid of the ball quicker.

I think in general BA overthinks things.

Tries to get too many yards on plays making Ben take more hits than needed.

And he tries to use #2 and #3 TEs too often at the expense of keeping the best players on the field.

[rockonsteel]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

And I'm not so sure Arians wouldn't call that play in that situation. You obviously don't have a good recollection of the playoff game against Jax a few years back. Not that much of a stretch.


Rockon

Yes, yes it is a huge stretch...

It's called hyperbole. You're taking it way too literal my friend.

But since you did.....

Again, you obviously missed the playoff game against Jacksonville, when BA ran Ben on a naked bootleg on 3rd and 7 with an opportunity to close the game out with a first down. I guess it was execution that caused that play to fail. This after Ben carved their defense the entire second half of that game. I'll say it again, with BA as the OC, not that much a stretch at all.


Rockon

It was execution that caused the play to fail. I'm pretty sure Starks or whoever was out their either went to far or Ben ran on the wrong side of him on that play.

I remember a few people saying if we executed it correctly it would have worked.

We also had 3 INT's in the first half of that game... was that execution?

The problem with being an OC is every play that doesn't work proves he is an idiot.

Ben would had made the first down if Essex made his block.

Yeah, well I'm sure that play worked great in practice in the week preceding that game. But, in the game, there is actually an opposing defense which is trying to stop the offense from advancing the ball. So, that play under the circumstances was one of the most assinine playcalls I've ever seen. Big, slow, lumbering QB who was carving up the Jags all second half, and you have him running a naked boot like his name is Mike Vick or Tim Tebow or something.

That play put Ben, Essex and the whole offense in an impossible situation. That was not a high percentage play for success in that particular situation. I don't think it's fair at all to put that on Essex. A 3rd and 7 sweep play(naked boot/QB sweep) is a tough play for a top-notch RB to convert, let alone a slow lumbering QB like Ben.


Rockon

[BURGH86STEEL]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

Agree or disagreeing with the call is subjective. The play was there to be made if Essex executed the block. Ben would had gotten the first down and possibly more if the block was made. Ben's not a slow lumbering QB. Ben may not be Vick or Tebow but he can run.

The problem is that some people attempt to sum up BA based on a handful of bad or questionable play calls. What about good play calls? How about the fact that the offense thrives in certain situations? It's not all negative as some seem to suggest. The areas of offensive deficiency are the areas they need to continue to work on to get better as a unit(red zone). The team rarely fails because of one individual. Especially, when that individual is the OC.

IMO, this game boils down to how the players perform on the field.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

IMO, this game boils down to how the players perform on the field.

But BA's job is to put the players in the best possible position to be successful. He ought to make their task easier, not more difficult.

The Steelers have struggled in the red zone this season. Do you honestly believe that play-calling has nothing to do with that? Do you honestly believe, as BA apparently believes, that he is always calling the perfect plays in those situations, but that the failure to come away with touchdowns is ALL on the players? Some will try to pin all the blame on BA; some will try to pin all the blame on the players; obviously, neither of those extremes is right. The truth lies somewhere inbetween. But if BA was doing such a great job as the article states he is, such a great job as BA thinks he is, then the Steelers most certainly would be putting up more points.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

Steelers' screens test defenses' mettle

By Mark Kaboly, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, November 21, 2011



Antonio Brown has helped make the wide-receiver screen an important part of the Steelers' offense this season.

In years past, it was a play that Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians would call to ensure Hines Ward's streak of consecutive games with a reception remained intact.

But the wide receiver screen has quickly morphed from nothing more than a gimmick in Arians' playbook to a can't-live-without staple of his offense — ever since the emergence of receivers of Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

"It is fun to get them the ball and let them do their thing," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.

Arians hasn't been hesitant in calling the play regardless of the opponent or the situation, mostly because of it's success.

Through 10 games, Arians has called 31 receiver screens, with Roethlisberger completing all but three of them for an 8.6 yard average per play. The rest of the plays Arians has called this year combined are averaging 5.8 yards.

"The players are very good at it," Arians said. "They are run-after-the-catch guys, and that's why they are here."

Arians' infatuation with the play is easily understandable. It's a high-percentage quick throw that gets the ball in the hands of a speedy play-making receiver in space, forcing a cornerback to try to make an open-field tackle.

It's a perfect recipe for success when you have dynamic receivers like the Steelers'.

"The good thing about it is that you get the ball out of your hand right now," Roethlisberger said. "You get the ball in the hands of a playmaker right away and usually before defenders can get to them, and you have a couple of blockers out in front."

The biggest beneficiary has been Wallace, mostly because of how teams have tried to defend his speed — by playing off-coverage.

Wallace is among the league leaders in yards per catch (17.5) and has six catches of 40 yards or longer, including touchdowns of 81 and 95 yards.

To combat cornerbacks giving large cushions because of Wallace's speed, Arians has called more screens for him than any other receiver (10).

"They don't want to give that big play to Mike Wallace over the top," Brown said. "They don't want to come up and press him, fearing he will go right past them."

Wallace is content with catching a screen and turning it to big yards. He caught a 26-yard screen against Baltimore in Week 1 and a 29-yarder two weeks later in Indianapolis.

"If people are going to back up, we are going to throw short passes," Wallace said. "We can do that all the time if guys continue to back up."

The Steelers had their most success against New England when they completed six screens, but it was the week before in Arizona that it helped win the game.

Trying to run out the clock late against the Cardinals, Arians called run plays on two occasions that were checked out of at the line of scrimmage by Roethlisberger.

The first one resulted in a 12-yard completion to Brown for a first down, and the second one was an 11-yard pass to Sanders for a game-clinching first down.

"You are just handing the ball to a receiver out there wide and let him run in space," Arians said. "They go down as passing statistics, but to us, they are really running plays. They are just extended running plays to me. They are long handoffs. A lot of it, I consider the running game."

However, there has been a downside. Two of Roethlisberger's nine interceptions have come while throwing a wide receiver screen, with both taking place near the red zone.

Tennessee's Cortland Finnegan intercepted Roethlisberger late in the first half last month, and Baltimore's Terrell Suggs anticipated a quick screen from Roethlisberger and picked off a pass intended for Wallace.

"It's cool," Wallace said. "We are going to get them more times than they will get us."

[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_768349.html#ixzz1eNkEjRzV"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1eNkEjRzV[/url]

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

With all the talent we have on offense, we are 15th in redone TD conversion @ 50% on the nose, 2.46% worse than last year.

[SteelTorch]

Re: Bruce Arians "is having one heck of a year"

I'll say it - I think the only reason BA has been "better" this year is just that we have a better group of players. Aside from certain players on our O-line, we have an extremely talented group of individuals. More so than we've had in a long time. This extra talent has covered up for BA's ineptitude.

Like I've said over and over, BA does nothing to help this offense. He does not make the players better, does not adjust well, and does not show any creativity where it matters most. The best thing for this offense would be if he were to pack his bags and move to Arizona.