Haley, Ben Repair Relationship (Didnt think they needed to)

[SteelCrazy]

PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s surgically repaired right knee is on its way to a full recovery.

So too, it seems, is Roethlisberger’s relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Following a somewhat rocky year in which the two couldn’t seem to warm to the idea of the other, the admittedly headstrong men behind Pittsburgh’s offense appear focused on moving forward after the Steelers slumped to an 8-8 finish.

Haley approached Roethlisberger and several other players during the offseason asking them about changes they’d like to see made, and the result is an attack they hope is a little more streamlined than it was in 2012.

“You want your guys that are out there, especially Ben who is handling the football on hopefully an every down basis, to feel invested in what’s going on,” Haley said.

Though Roethlisberger consistently took the blame when things fell apart, he also expressed frustration at the playcalling and at one point reverted to old hand signals left over from mentor Bruce Arians’ run as the offensive coordinator.

Roethlisberger struck a more conciliatory tone while watching minicamp on Tuesday. Though relegated to highly paid spectator by minor surgery on his right knee last week, Roethlisberger gave Haley credit for being proactive in attempting to find common ground.

“Just the simple fact that he came to me and asked what I thought about it, changing the names of things to kind of make more sense to all of us, [helps],” Roethlisberger said.


Having the face of the franchise at ease is a plus. Roethlisberger looked relaxed watching backup Bruce Gradkowski work with the starters as minicamp opened and said his knee feels so good he could “start on Sunday” if the calendar read September instead of June.

Roethlisberger underwent arthroscopic surgery last week to relieve “discomfort” in the knee that he attributed to wear and tear. He endured a similar procedure in 2005 after hyperextending the knee. There was no direct trauma this time.

“I’d come in on Tuesday to practice and it would feel good, and by Thursday, it was almost like a tire was slowly losing air,” Roethlisberger said.

When team doctors suggested addressing the problem now to prevent bigger problems down the road, the two-time Super Bowl winner couldn’t find any room to argue.

“We figured it was time to get it done,” he said.

Roethlisberger expects to be 100 percent when training camp opens on July 26. The down time will let him get a better handle on the tweaks Haley has been working on.

The most significant change focused on the terminology. Roethlisberger thought older players were struggling to get a handle on the new jargon so Haley opted to give it an overhaul, mixing the old and the new. He also promised to revisit certain things during the season if the players come at him with well thought-out suggestions.

“Your big dogs have to have input,” Haley said. “They’re the ones out there facing the live bullets.”

[url]http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/jun/12/haley-ben-move-forward/[/url]

[Slapstick]

So much for "ramming stuff down Ben's throat"...

[Captain QB]

So much for "ramming stuff down Ben's throat"...

Too bad it couldn't happen a year earlier.

[hawaiiansteel]

Too bad it couldn't happen a year earlier.

what, both Ben and Haley acting like professionals?

[Shoe]

Glad to hear it. It still remains to be seen however, when push comes to shove (adversity in-season). I will say that I like the fact that Ben may be willing to put his ego aside for the good of his squad (and his career).

[thor75]

Bravo to both parties!!

[Slapstick]

Too bad it couldn't happen a year earlier.

Yep. That is, indeed, too bad...

[Captain Lemming]

Too bad it couldn't happen a year earlier.

Frankly, I dont think it would work. Ben had to learn the general workings of the new offense.
Ben loved the Arians way, Rooneys did not.
Haley aint gonna change his whole offense to please Ben in a way that got Arians fired.
Haley's task was to impliment changes not recreate what Ben was comfortable with.

Now that Ben has worked in Haleys offense and knows it, Haley can use Ben's input to shape it.



Think about it.
Considering the reputation of both Haley and Ben and the EXPECTATIONS of a blowup......
Ben's brief whinnings last year seem pretty minor, and to already seem to be on the same page seems best case scenario.

[Shawn]

If Haley would have come in from the front end placating Ben, where is the room for compromise and growth? I like Haley coming in, Ben not liking it, and then them coming together through compromise this season. If that would have happened on the front end, I believe Ben was invested in being mad, upset that his friend and father figure got fired. IMO, It wouldn't have worked.

[flippy]

We seem to have 2 drama queens now instead of just 1.

[Slapstick]

We seem to have 2 drama queens now instead of just 1.

No, it's still only one...

[hawaiiansteel]

In Todd, Steelers finally trust

By Alan Robinson
Published: Saturday, August 3, 2013



As Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Gradkowski toss footballs toward garbage cans at a lengthy distance — a fun drill that often brings out the competitive side of the Steelers' quarterbacks — offensive coordinator Todd Haley takes a few turns himself.

Haley puts a few balls close but doesn't sink any, and Roethlisberger lets him have it. Jokingly, of course, and certainly not with the same sense of frustration and tension that existed a year ago when Roethlisberger felt uncomfortable at times with the new offense imposed upon him. And following a late-season loss, he let his boss have it, though he apologized a couple of days later.

“He's as competitive as they come,” Haley said of Roethlisberger, the man who ultimately will determine whether Haley is judged as a success or failure. “He doesn't want to see anybody listed ahead of him, whether it's throwing in buckets out here or Super Bowl rings or completion percentage.”

Roethlisberger last week admitted to some disgruntlement among offensive regulars when forced a year ago to change so much of what they knew to fit Haley's system — one that limited deep passes Roethlisberger likes, plus some of his improvisation, and created a new vernacular for them to learn.

Haley hasn't changed his tune — the focus remains the same, and that includes keeping Roethlisberger upright and productive — but he has rewritten the words. The familiar terminology of plays the Steelers ran for years has returned, and the quarterback is upbeat about the up-tempo style Haley wants to run, even if it's not entirely the no-huddle look Roethlisberger loves.

An 8-8 season, numerous offseason meetings with players and assistant coaches and self-evaluation caused Haley to refine his offense. To him, he's doing only what any good coach would do.

“(I'm) no longer the one lone wolf, the new guy on the block,” Haley said. “As you get to know and communicate and a trust level is built between player and coach, it becomes much easier to talk and ask questions and offer suggestions, which I'm always open to. I think as last year went on, that evolution started, and it was a natural progression during the offseason.

“Just get it right. That's always been my philosophy. It's not about my idea, my offense — I've made it clear every time I've talked, this is not my offense. … I think guys just understand that now. You're seeing a lot more give and take, and that's when you're able to succeed. It's not a my-way-or-the-highway-type deal.”

Running back Isaac Redman said the players are impressed at how Haley not only listened to them but also reworked his system to make it more familiar.

“He's willing to open up and take advice and take criticism. He said, ‘If you don't like this, if you don't like anything, come to me, and we'll fix it,' ” Redman said. “That says a lot, for him to stand up in front of the offense and say that. Just the relationship he has with the whole offense, you can tell it's a lot different from last year.”

As a result, Redman said, “The offense is just clicking for us.”

Of course, it's only practice, at least until the preseason game Saturday against the Giants at Heinz Field.

FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTENTMENT

Roethlisberger seems to be more relaxed than he was last season, when, despite running an offense that wasn't nearly as comfortable to him as Bruce Arians', he was headed for a career year statistically before getting hurt in November. Despite seeing those numbers slip following his return from an upper-body injury, Roethlisberger finished with 26 touchdown passes and eight interceptions — a significant improvement from his 21 TDs and 14 interceptions in 2011.

No doubt that newfound comfort is partly because Haley made many of the alterations the quarterback suggested.

“We're the two that have to have the greatest amount of trust,” Haley said. “When the bullets are flying on game day and he hears my voice, he's got to trust that I'm giving him the best chance to succeed. When I make a call, I've got to trust that what I'm giving him, he's going to make it work. And that only happens through time.

“When you don't know somebody and you haven't had any kind of background or relationship, you're starting from ground zero, and you've got to just take the time to let things evolve and happen in any kind of relationship.”

Haley and Roethlisberger have similar personalties. Both are competitive, a bit prone to agitation when criticized and, at times, hardheaded.

“I've got a little of that in me,” Haley said.

‘EVERYBODY'S BOUGHT IN'

Each is learning to adapt.

While Haley incorporated much of what the players requested, the offense has a lot more of Haley in it, too. Most significant is a greater emphasis on zone blocking, which, in a simplistic definition, features multiple blockers moving in the same direction at the same time, often with the intent of double-teaming a defender. Previously, the Steelers were more inside driven.

They attempted to incorporate more zone blocking last season, but it didn't work well with Max Starks and Willie Colon along the line, especially after injuries began to hit. With Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams at tackle, Ramon Foster and David DeCastro at guard and Maurkice Pouncey at center, Haley feels more comfortable with the blocking scheme being taught by new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr.

“It's something in Kansas City that we ran a bunch of when we led the league in rushing,” said Haley, the former Chiefs head coach. “It gives us a little more diversity in the run game, which will be great for us. (Last year) we had a little more of a road grader mentality and lacked some athleticism in spots. Now all of a sudden we've got a pretty athletic group from top to bottom. Everybody's bought in, most importantly.”

So has the quarterback, who is looking forward to running an offense that is expected to be faster paced than the Steelers traditionally run. The more athletic offensive line is one reason Haley believes it will work.

“You can be up-tempo and in and out of the huddle faster. We're a younger group across the board. I think we're in the best condition I've seen them,” Haley said. “Any time you've got highly conditioned guys at all positions, you can be up-tempo, whether you're huddling or not huddling. When you are the better-conditioned team, you have a chance to wear out defenses, and as the game goes on, you can gain a distinct advantage. … If you can stay on the field and run a lot of plays, that's usually a good equation.”

Roethlisberger seems convinced, too.

“I firmly believe this will work, especially now with the changes that we've made, and we've gotten better,” he said.

‘ULTIMATELY IT'S HIS OFFENSE'

Most important is keeping the 31-year-old Roethlisberger on the field. Haley wants the quarterback to get the ball out quickly, throw to all of his receivers and, by doing so, stay out of harm's way. The last two seasons were disrupted by Roethlisberger injuries.

“Every year that he gets older, that's something that's paramount to him, continuing to get better and continuing to be an elite quarterback — in my opinion, he can be the best quarterback in the league,” Haley said. “He's got to be out there playing to do that, and for that to happen, we've got to keep hits off him, as many as we can. Some of that falls on his shoulders, too.”

With a potential new running back in Le'Veon Bell and without playmaker Mike Wallace, the weight of the offense is on Roethlisberger's shoulders more than ever.

“I'm excited about where we're at. I'm excited about where he's at — he's got his mind set on what he wants to get done this year with this team,” Haley said. “Ultimately it's his team.”

Especially now that Roethlisberger is running the Steelers' offense and not just Todd Haley's.

[URL]http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/4442911-74/haley-roethlisberger-offense#ixzz2ayLn1o00[/URL]

[skyhawk]

Ben was having his best year ever last year until he got hurt. I hope Ben and Haley continue to NOT get along!!!