Pittsburgh Steelers: Todd Haley Has Already Identified Offensive Strengths

[Oviedo]

The only way the offense improves with DJ is by not playing him.

He's horrible. Awful. The Tomlin Era's version of Corey Holliday.

Totally agree. On his best day DJ is mediocre. If we want a FB get a real FB not a wanna be.

[pfelix73]

Ya'll did read that DJ will have competition in camp, right? Let's just relax and wait and see what happens in camp. I don't like DJ either, but with a new approach, OC... Let's just wait and see what happens in camp..Gee whiz, ya'll act like the freaking sky is falling....

[Oviedo]

Ya'll did read that DJ will have competition in camp, right? Let's just relax and wait and see what happens in camp. I don't like DJ either, but with a new approach, OC... Let's just wait and see what happens in camp..Gee whiz, ya'll act like the freaking sky is falling....

IMO...competition from an undrafted rookie who has been out of football for essentially one or two years that the coaches found at the WVU Pro Day isn't real competition. If I recall wasn't he a WR or H-back so another guy trying to learn a new position.

If that's what we are doing, just make Legursky the FB and get a two for one on the gameday active roster. Legursky has already proven he is a better short yardage blocker than DJ could ever hope to be.

[RuthlessBurgher]

IMO...competition from an undrafted rookie who has been out of football for essentially one or two years that the coaches found at the WVU Pro Day isn't real competition. If I recall wasn't he a WR or H-back so another guy trying to learn a new position.

If that's what we are doing, just make Legursky the FB and get a two for one on the gameday active roster. Legursky has already proven he is a better short yardage blocker than DJ could ever hope to be.

Haley said that he wants to throw to the backs more often, and Will Johnson seems to be the type of guy who could do that well (a former WR turned TE in college now turned FB in the pros). I'd be happy with Will Johnson as an option to be our latter-day John L. Williams type of FB who can catch passes out of the backfield, and then using Legursky as the situational Dan Krieder/Tim Lester type of lead blocking FB in short yardage and goal line situations.

[flippy]

The real reason Haley might be the savior is he might actually push Ben to be great.

BA catered too him too much to his own demise. BA unfairly gets a bad rap around here. His scripted plays worked as good as anyone's. The problem came when we got into the flow of the game and went off script.

[Crash]

BA catered too him too much to his own demise. BA unfairly gets a bad rap around here.

He does get a bad rap. But not for the reasons you think.

Because he treated Ben like a human being, and not just a piece of meat like Cowher and Whiz did, that gets people saying Whiz "catered" to Ben. When in reality as an OC, BA's infatuation with 2 TE sets was the biggest obstacle Ben and the offense had to deal with.

Let's be honest here, BA and Ben's relationship was never as "close" to the extent that Cowher had with Kordell.

[steelblood]

The only way the offense improves with DJ is by not playing him.

He's horrible. Awful. The Tomlin Era's version of Corey Holliday.

Or ... the Tomlin Era's Carey Davis (who is also from the Tomlin era). Tomlin (and Arian's) choices for the fullback position have been simply awful.

[Slapstick]

Or ... the Tomlin Era's Carey Davis (who is also from the Tomlin era). Tomlin (and Arian's) choices for the fullback position have been simply awful.

I believe that Crash was referring to Corey Holliday running the wrong route in SB XXX, leading to Neil O'Donnell throwing one of the INTs that made Larry Brown big bucks with the Raiders...

DJ missed a block on Clay Matthews in SB XLV and Mendenhall got hit as a result...that hit caused Mendenhall to fumble...

[flippy]

[/COLOR]He does get a bad rap. But not for the reasons you think.

Because he treated Ben like a human being, and not just a piece of meat like Cowher and Whiz did, that gets people saying Whiz "catered" to Ben. When in reality as an OC, BA's infatuation with 2 TE sets was the biggest obstacle Ben and the offense had to deal with.

Let's be honest here, BA and Ben's relationship was never as "close" to the extent that Cowher had with Kordell.

I think BA had the right idea about the TE mismatches. The problem was he didn't have the talent at TE and didn't adjust accordingly.

If we had 2 Heath Millers in BA's offense, I think BA would have looked brilliant. But we didn't and it hurt us a bit.

On the flip side, he made it work in the scripted part of the game. But once we got past that part of the chess match, the caliber of the #2 and #3 TEs showed as a glaring weakness.

I actually think Haley's smart enough to know he has to get along with Ben. And we're going to see a close relationship between the 2 of them. Haley's got a lot of warts and so does Ben and I suspect that will create a unique bond between the 2.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I think BA had the right idea about the TE mismatches. The problem was he didn't have the talent at TE and didn't adjust accordingly.

If we had 2 Heath Millers in BA's offense, I think BA would have looked brilliant. But we didn't and it hurt us a bit.

On the flip side, he made it work in the scripted part of the game. But once we got past that part of the chess match, the caliber of the #2 and #3 TEs showed as a glaring weakness.

I actually think Haley's smart enough to know he has to get along with Ben. And we're going to see a close relationship between the 2 of them. Haley's got a lot of warts and so does Ben and I suspect that will create a unique bond between the 2.

Trying to run a Gronkowski and Hernandez offense with Matt Spaeth or David Johnson in a primary role next to Heath Miller would be like Francis Ford Coppola filming the Godfather with Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, and Carrot Top as the Corleone brothers.

[flippy]

Trying to run a Gronkowski and Hernandez offense with Matt Spaeth or David Johnson in a primary role next to Heath Miller would be like Francis Ford Coppola filming the Godfather with Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, and Carrot Top as the Corleone brothers.

That's hilarious.

[Sugar]

I think BA had the right idea about the TE mismatches. The problem was he didn't have the talent at TE and didn't adjust accordingly.

If we had 2 Heath Millers in BA's offense, I think BA would have looked brilliant. But we didn't and it hurt us a bit.

On the flip side, he made it work in the scripted part of the game. But once we got past that part of the chess match, the caliber of the #2 and #3 TEs showed as a glaring weakness.

I actually think Haley's smart enough to know he has to get along with Ben. And we're going to see a close relationship between the 2 of them. Haley's got a lot of warts and so does Ben and I suspect that will create a unique bond between the 2.

This is probably why Indy went after the best TE's in the draft after getting Luck.

[Crash]

This is probably why Indy went after the best TE's in the draft after getting Luck.

He was also Luck's college teammate. That didn't hurt.

[Crash]

Per Joe Starkey via Twitter:

My talk with Ben Roethlisberger at 3 p.m., 93.7 The Fan. Ben believes fans want more runs and will "get their wish."

That's FOUR. Three OL's and their offensive captain.

[Sugar]

Todd Haley will make the Steelers' offense better

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