Interesting perspective: Haley went turtle to protect Steelers from Ben

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

It was one of the Pgh. sports writers who raised the point by pointing out that when Ben did have the game in his hands he made a bone-headed game-losing throw.

He said that Haley could have just been playing odds on that 2nd to last drive - keeping Ben from throwing that pic at that time, which would have given Brady** a short field and losing us the game while we were ahead.

Its ugly no matter how you look at it ...

[Steelhere10]

Haley is garbage and went turtle.

[Starlifter]

bullcrap. if you don't trust your HOF QB at the end of the game, especially one who was making every throw - then why even bother to play the game? I don't believe that for a second.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

bullcrap. if you don't trust your HOF QB at the end of the game, especially one who was making every throw - then why even bother to play the game? I don't believe that for a second.

I'd also rather have seen us throw to get the first down when AV blew it (twice?) in that 2nd to last series.

But Haley can always point to the last play and say "See, that's why we didn't throw it ...".

It was an offhand comment by one of the writers in one of those "Fan Q and A" columns, he probably didn't think it through fully.

[feltdizz]

I kind of buy it. Backed up late and Ben has often taken sacks trying to look down field...

but given the way the game has played out I can’t see how you don’t trust Ben. He was in point for the whole game until that last pass.

Running with Toussaint was a terrible idea. Who the hell called that garbage? Was that by design or an audible?

[Northern_Blitz]

I'd also rather have seen us throw to get the first down when AV blew it (twice?) in that 2nd to last series.

But Haley can always point to the last play and say "See, that's why we didn't throw it ...".

It was an offhand comment by one of the writers in one of those "Fan Q and A" columns, he probably didn't think it through fully.

I think running it once it was 20+ to go was the right thing to do. I think it's too high risk to pass it in that situation and running it drains a bunch of clock and / or takes their time outs away. The problem in that drive was executing, not play calling (not sure if that's true for the drives after that).

[WB Tarleton]

No one will ever know for sure, but it is not an outrageous theory. Ben is a gunslinger. There is aggressive and there is stupid. Ben can be really stubborn and throw ill advised passes or take sacks when he should not. The INT is a perfect example. One can say, "Trust your HOF QB" but they did and he tried to force a pass into Rogers when throwing it into the stands was the decision a "HOF QB" should make.

[feltdizz]

Romo yapped a lot but one thing he was right about.. "if you have a HOF QB you should be able to trust him to throw the ball to get a first down."

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I think running it once it was 20+ to go was the right thing to do. I think it's too high risk to pass it in that situation and running it drains a bunch of clock and / or takes their time outs away. The problem in that drive was executing, not play calling (not sure if that's true for the drives after that).

screen. crossing route... anything that gets you half the yardage on your 2nd and 23

[papillon]

If that's the case then just put Landry Jones in the effing game. If true, then Haley should be fired and I've never called for any coach to be fired. If not true, then the writer should be fired. What a bunch of crap during a season in which the team is 11-3, in the playoffs and one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the league. Ben's going to the HOF and Haley and the writer will have to buy tickets to get into the HOF. Geesh, what a bunch of nonsense.

pappy

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

If that's the case then just put Landry Jones in the effing game. If true, then Haley should be fired and I've never called for any coach to be fired. If not true, then the writer should be fired. What a bunch of crap during a season in which the team is 11-3, in the playoffs and one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the league. Ben's going to the HOF and Haley and the writer will have to buy tickets to get into the HOF. Geesh, what a bunch of nonsense.

pappy

If Haley really was hesitant to put the game in Ben's hands on 2nd and 23 or whatever it was, it's hard to come up with a reason he sent in a play for Ben to throw (instead of clocking it and going for the tie) just a few seconds later.

In the end, I agree with that ^, it was probably just an off-the-cuff, not-well-thought-out remark that the beat writer made that he himself wouldn't want to go to the mat with.

[winwithd]

I kept waiting for a deep shot to Bryant all thru the 4th quarter. He caught one earlier in the game. Alas it never came.

I think we'd have been throwing if AB was in there

[Captain Lemming]

I kept waiting for a deep shot to Bryant all thru the 4th quarter. He caught one earlier in the game. Alas it never came.

I think we'd have been throwing if AB was in there

Good point. Call might have been differs with AB in the game

[Mr.wizard]

That is a dumb take, if that where the case then why did they tell Ben not to spike the ball on the last play? The safe play at the end would be to spike it, kick the field goal, and get to overtime, but the Steelers put the game in Bens hands. Ben makes clutch throws week after week in big spots and he has been doing it for years, if anyone is saying the Steelers don't trust Ben with the game on the line they clearly have never watched Steelers football.