What's The Problem With Rushing the Football?

[BURGH86STEEL]

Or...

You keep Ben and the WRs, design an offense that isn't predictable and use the legitimate threat of a run to create big plays in a play-action passing game...

People stated the offense was predictable under Cowher. It's going to be interested to watch how long it takes before people start calling the offense predictable under Haley. It's going to happen, it's just a matter of when???

[BURGH86STEEL]

What are you talking about? Arians NEVER utilized his weapons properly. He couldn't even find a way to get Redman the ball and split time w/ Mendenhall.

Heath Miller is another example. The 1st half of the Patriots game was excellent utilization of Heath Miller. Then, the 2nd half, Arians suddenly forgot that Miller was even on the team.

Arians has to be one of the dumbest OCs in the league. Either that, or incredibly hard headed.

Examples can be provided that Arians used the weapons on the team properly. You provide one when you stated, "The 1st half of the Patriots game was excellent utilization of Heath Miller." Maybe Ben forgot about Miller? Maybe the Patriots did a few things defensively to take Miller away? There could be a number of reasons why Miller didn't receive more passes in the second half.

Mendenhall was the more primary RB. Mendenhall is a faster, more explosive, and better all around RB then Redman. Why should he split time with Redman? I could understand a few more carries for Redman. I don't understand why Mendenhall should had split time with Redman.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I am all for it. Infact i want Steelers offense to do both effectively.

Problem is when you start playing Marty-ball after taking lead. Predicitable Offensive play calling along with turnstile O-line was a major issue.

I agree. We were spoiled when we were in a situation in which everyone knew we were running with the lead, yet we could still pound it effectively. Unfortunately Jerome Bettis has retired and that situation no longer exists.

[Shawn]

While teams like the Packers and Pats seem very good...especially at passing the ball. They will never be as good as a team who can do it all well, and adapt to the weaknesses of opposing Ds.

[BURGH86STEEL]

While teams like the Packers and Pats seem very good...especially at passing the ball. They will never be as good as a team who can do it all well, and adapt to the weaknesses of opposing Ds.

Some would say those teams play to their offensive strengths (their QB's). I don't think they are too concerned adapting to the weaknesses of the opposition. Those teams put a lot of points on the board.

[Slapstick]

I would say running the ball 58% of the time on 1st down for little or no gain.

[/COLOR]

But, you keep pointing out that the Steelers had the highest YpC in 10 years...

If they ran the ball 58% on first down but passed 56% of the time overall, those first down runs had to be productive...

Unless the highst YpC in 10 years still wasn't running effectively...in whcih case Arians had to go...

[Slapstick]

Well guess what? In the salary cap era? What you pay for is just as important as winning.

By all means, if you guys want to run the ball all day and the Rooney's agree that's fine.

But that also means you have to pay the right players in order to do it.

Exactly.

That's why RBs have become a commodity while franchise QBs earn the big bucks...

If you find an effective RB on the cheap (James Starks, Pierre Thomas, Isaac Redman) you can still get your cap value out of the QB...

[Slapstick]

Drew Brees and Tom Brady each threw 600+ passes in 2011.

If Haley tries that with Ben? He'll be hung by the Clemente Bridge.

As well he should...

Ben is not a "dink and dunk" guy like Brees and Brady...

In Ben's most productive season, he had just over 400 attempts...when the Packers beat the Steelers in the SB, Rodgers had about 450 pass attempts...

That can be plenty of pass attempts for a great QB (30 per game) to be effective...If Ben never hits 5,000 yards, I don't care...that's just for stats geeks and fantasy owners...

[feltdizz]

Some would say those teams play to their offensive strengths (their QB's). I don't think they are too concerned adapting to the weaknesses of the opposition. Those teams put a lot of points on the board.

The Pats put a lot of points on the board except when they play the Giants. LOL...

The Saints struggled vs a more balanced team last year in the playoffs. The Saints also needed an onside kick and a pick 6 to beat the Colts.

WE spend a lot of time talking about these explosive offenses but they aren't winning more than us... just winning in a different style and when they lose in the playoffs it tends to be lopsided and ugly.

[feltdizz]

I would say running the ball 58% of the time on 1st down for little or no gain.

When they turn Ben into Carson Palmer, don't bitch. That's what you guys wanted. [/COLOR]

You really have a problem with reading comprehension. Tweaking Ben's game isn't turning him into someone else. It's taking a little bit of what makes Carson, Peyton, Rodgers, etc good and adding it to Ben's arsenal. Ben is getting older and has some mileage on his body...

It's no different then telling Mend to add a little Bettis to his inside run game. Doesn't mean he has to put 80 lbs on his body and lose all his speed. Just take what's there instead of trying to run 80 yards on every play.

All the FO and some fans want is for Ben to stay cleaner while doing what he does best... no one wants him to play scared or throw the ball out of bounds before he hikes the ball. However, if the RB is open in the flat early.... throw it to him instead of running around for 5 seconds and taking a sack on 3rd and 6 when we are in FG range.

[SteelAddicted]

Just looking at the OP's original stats I would relate the 8 more carries per win to having a lead in the game. When you're behind you tend to run the ball less. Today's NFL is a passing league, I think it's pretty obvious. I think it's important to have a balanced attack, but those 20-28 stats to me don't relate to rushing winning or losing.

[Slapstick]

Just looking at the OP's original stats I would relate the 8 more carries per win to having a lead in the game. When you're behind you tend to run the ball less. Today's NFL is a passing league, I think it's pretty obvious. I think it's important to have a balanced attack, but those 20-28 stats to me don't relate to rushing winning or losing.

And that's the old(?) adage: Pass to score, run to win...

[steelz09]

Examples can be provided that Arians used the weapons on the team properly. You provide one when you stated, "The 1st half of the Patriots game was excellent utilization of Heath Miller." Maybe Ben forgot about Miller? Maybe the Patriots did a few things defensively to take Miller away? There could be a number of reasons why Miller didn't receive more passes in the second half.

Mendenhall was the more primary RB. Mendenhall is a faster, more explosive, and better all around RB then Redman. Why should he split time with Redman? I could understand a few more carries for Redman. I don't understand why Mendenhall should had split time with Redman.

One half of the Patriots game doesn't give Arians a free pass for years of Heath being under utilized. Those dink and dunk passes to Heath would work every single game. And don't give me the excuse that Heath needs to stay in and block because the o-line sucked. The dink and dunk passes would have mitigated teams from sending the house on inside blitzes. Instead, Arians would have Heath Miller in a max protect type scheme and sending his WRs 20+ yards down field when everyone watching the game would know Ben would be sacked.

Why split time w/ Redman? Are you serious? How about that he's a far superior inside runner. He has better overall vision on inside runs which is needed when you don't have gaping holes. How about splitting time to keep your primary RB fresh?

[Crash]

For the record people who like Savior Haley point to the one year he had with Tony Moeaki as a good reason he was hired. They claim he can "use Heath" the same way.

Now, compare Moeaki's one season with Haley, to Miller's production with Arians?

What's the problem?

Once again, perception isn't reality.

[Crash]

Ben is not a "dink and dunk" guy like Brees and Brady...

But that's exactly what they are turning him into.

But here's the catch? I think Ben would flourish in that system.

But they have to eliminate the obsession with multiple TE sets and use three wide as a base.