Why do our Steelers come out flat in the 1st Quarter of so many games?

[Shoe]

If you're going to hold Haley predominately responsible for the slow starts, then shouldn't he also get all the credit for the 2nd half adjustments that have led to our consistent 2nd half surges?

[papillon]

If you're going to hold Haley predominately responsible for the slow starts, then shouldn't he also get all the credit for the 2nd half adjustments that have led to our consistent 2nd half surges?

Sure, I'll give him credit for ealizing that Ben is the best football player on offense and handing him the game plan and the no-huddle and telling him to go to work, of course, it has only taken 28 games to realize this fact. If he wasn't always trying to fit a square peg in a round hole or at least it seems that way, it wouldn't be as bad. He has some innovative plays and use of personnel, but running just for thae sake of keeping balance in an offense when its been nearly impossible to gain yards seems a bit obtuse to me.

The last few games as the O-line has gelled and the run game has picked up, but not until later in the game which is okay, because, hopefully, by then you are protecting a lead. Unfortunately, the Steelers haven't been protecting many leads, so, you have to give the ball to Ben and let him do waht he does to get a lead, nor give away drives in the first quarter.

Pappy

[papillon]

that's a bit of a stretch pappy. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are two of the best QB's of all time. I've never heard anyone refer to Ben as being at their level.

It's a stretch only because Ben is unorthodox in his style, Ben isn't a classic drop back passer, the pundits, fans and analysts hate his style. Ben will never give up on a play and sometimes that is a bad thing, but when it comes right down to it, Ben understands the game the same as those guys and can run an offense without any help from the sideline. He just doesn't have the number of yards and because if his stye has more INTs.

I wish there was a way to put Manning and/or Brady behind our offensive line for the first four games of this season and see how well they would do, with a collapsing pocket after a couple seconds. Each of them hates pressure from a front 7, Ben seems to thrive on it in a weird kind of way.

Pappy

[Ernie]

It's a stretch only because Ben is unorthodox in his style, Ben isn't a classic drop back passer, the pundits, fans and analysts hate his style. Ben will never give up on a play and sometimes that is a bad thing, but when it comes right down to it, Ben understands the game the same as those guys and can run an offense without any help from the sideline. He just doesn't have the number of yards and because if his stye has more INTs.

I wish there was a way to put Manning and/or Brady behind our offensive line for the first four games of this season and see how well they would do, with a collapsing pocket after a couple seconds. Each of them hates pressure from a front 7, Ben seems to thrive on it in a weird kind of way.

Pappy

Pappy,
I agree with Ben needs to have more control of the offense (like Manning and Brady). The fact that he has a different playing style than Manning and Brady does not convince me that he is as good... The problem you get into with Ben (when comparing him to Brady/Manning) is that he does not go through his progressions any where near the speed of those two. It's not even close. As a result, a lot of those sacks that Ben takes would not happen with Brady or Manning because the ball would already have been thrown (with the other two).

[Shoe]

Sure, I'll give him credit for ealizing that Ben is the best football player on offense and handing him the game plan and the no-huddle and telling him to go to work, of course, it has only taken 28 games to realize this fact. If he wasn't always trying to fit a square peg in a round hole or at least it seems that way, it wouldn't be as bad. He has some innovative plays and use of personnel, but running just for thae sake of keeping balance in an offense when its been nearly impossible to gain yards seems a bit obtuse to me.

The last few games as the O-line has gelled and the run game has picked up, but not until later in the game which is okay, because, hopefully, by then you are protecting a lead. Unfortunately, the Steelers haven't been protecting many leads, so, you have to give the ball to Ben and let him do waht he does to get a lead, nor give away drives in the first quarter.

Pappy

Pappy,
You are making large assumptions here.

First of all, you're overly simplifying when it comes to Ben and Haley. Does Ben play in the first half? You can't blame Haley for everything that doesn't happen in the first half, and then not give credit (besides saying he simply rolls out the football in the 2nd half). That is ridiculous.

Secondly, you talk about putting Manning/Brady* behind our line in the first month of the season. At his age, Manning probably wouldn't last, eventually breaking down. But I've never seen Manning not excel, as a regular season QB, for a four-game stretch. The guy is a machine, with uncanny command and great anticipation (something Ben doesn't do in their league. Guys like Manning, Brady* don't take sacks because they throw before a WR even breaks open). As for Brady*, I hate him. But the guy is steering a 7-3 ship with: no Gronk for a month, no Hernandez, no Welker (that is probably 250 catches he's missing)--and he continues to win!

The reason you never think that these guys play behind a line as garbage as ours, is that they make their line look like they block better. Before a lineman can get beat, the ball is gone!

He11, Mike Adams might be a passable NFL o-lineman playing with DEN or NE*.

[Ernie]

Pappy,
You are making large assumptions here.

First of all, you're overly simplifying when it comes to Ben and Haley. Does Ben play in the first half? You can't blame Haley for everything that doesn't happen in the first half, and then not give credit (besides saying he simply rolls out the football in the 2nd half). That is ridiculous.

Secondly, you talk about putting Manning/Brady* behind our line in the first month of the season. At his age, Manning probably wouldn't last, eventually breaking down. But I've never seen Manning not excel, as a regular season QB, for a four-game stretch. The guy is a machine, with uncanny command and great anticipation (something Ben doesn't do in their league. Guys like Manning, Brady* don't take sacks because they throw before a WR even breaks open). As for Brady*, I hate him. But the guy is steering a 7-3 ship with: no Gronk for a month, no Hernandez, no Welker (that is probably 250 catches he's missing)--and he continues to win!

The reason you never think that these guys play behind a line as garbage as ours, is that they make their line look like they block better. Before a lineman can get beat, the ball is gone!

He11, Mike Adams might be a passable NFL o-lineman playing with DEN or NE*.

plus 1....

[BURGH86STEEL]

The characteristic that has separated Manning/Brady from Ben is the consistency in which they play QB.

Kind of ironic that people want to blame Haley the same way they blamed Arians. Regardless of the OC's or players around Ben the offense never had the consistent success that many fans crave. When Ben played well the offense generally scored points. When Ben played poorly the offense had difficulty scoring points. Some people are reluctant to put most of the focus on where it really belongs, Ben. They can change OC's and the players around Ben and the offense will continue to reflect the inconsistent nature of Ben's play.

[pittpete]

Does Ben get blamed for the lack of any running game the last few years?
If not, who do we blame?