Fichtner boasts pedigree to succeed Arians

By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Randy Fichtner's former boss said three words best describe the coach that could become the Steelers' next offensive coordinator: energy, enthusiasm and passion.

"It's not just a day at the office with Randy, and I think it's contagious," said Tommy West, who was the head coach at Memphis University when Fichtner was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach there. "He has 'it,' and players respond to it."

Fichtner, the Steelers' quarterbacks coach, is a candidate to succeed Bruce Arians, who told the York Daily Record earlier this week that the Steelers did not renew his contract.

Fichtner has a close relationship with coach Mike Tomlin and franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and the Steelers' last three offensive coordinators — Arians, Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Mularkey — were in-house hires. Fichtner also has play-calling experience, having served as an offensive coordinator for 10 consecutive seasons before joining Tomlin's staff in 2007.

Fichtner presided over a spread offense at Memphis, something that might be at odds with the Steelers' smash-mouth sensibilities. But he also helped mold running back DeAngelo Williams during his second coaching stint at Memphis, and Williams became an All-American and a first-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2006.

"(He was an) unbelievable players' coach when I was with him at Memphis," said Clay Helton, who coached wide receivers at Memphis while Fichtner was the offensive coordinator. "I think players understand that he has a genuine care for them on and off the field, and he is as an attention-to-details coach as there is out there."

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I'm really torn on Fichtner. On the one hand, he has the credentials, and it would be a smooth transition. And having him as OC might help Ben get over his anger about the situation. On the other hand, he already might be too close to Ben to effectively change his bad habits. I think what Ben needs is a coach, not another friend.

It will be a delicate situation to say the least. He needs an OC that will take control of this offense and Ben's bad habits and help him make better decisions. It will be a balancing act of trying to rein him in a little through discipline and allowing Ben enough freedom to do his thing and be happy. I don't want a "my way or the highway" nor a "Ben's golfing buddy" OC. Somewhere in between is what he needs.

I wonder how many of the we need an OC that will reign ben in people are also part of the we need to run the no huddle so ben can call his own plays crowd.

supytalpeht wrote:

I wonder how many of the we need an OC that will reign ben in people are also part of the we need to run the no huddle so ben can call his own plays crowd.

I don't have a problem with Ben running the no-huddle and calling his own plays. What I have a problem with is his tendency to hold onto the ball too long and ignore underneath routes. These aren't mechanical problems that are hard to fix. They're discipline issues, and someone needs to slap him upside his head.

Wallace108 wrote:

supytalpeht wrote:

I wonder how many of the we need an OC that will reign ben in people are also part of the we need to run the no huddle so ben can call his own plays crowd.

I don't have a problem with Ben running the no-huddle and calling his own plays. What I have a problem with is his tendency to hold onto the ball too long and ignore underneath routes. These aren't mechanical problems that are hard to fix. They're discipline issues, and someone needs to slap him upside his head.

Jesus tap dancing christ the only person that can or will fix it is #7.

supytalpeht wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

supytalpeht wrote:

I wonder how many of the we need an OC that will reign ben in people are also part of the we need to run the no huddle so ben can call his own plays crowd.

I don't have a problem with Ben running the no-huddle and calling his own plays. What I have a problem with is his tendency to hold onto the ball too long and ignore underneath routes. These aren't mechanical problems that are hard to fix. They're discipline issues, and someone needs to slap him upside his head.

Jesus tap dancing christ the only person that can or will fix it is #7.

You're right. And the problem is that Ben doesn't wanna change. And he never was going to change with Arians, who believed in "letting Ben be Ben." What he needs is someone who forces him to change, and that's why I have some reservations about Fichtner. Ben was still a young QB and pretty much just a game manager under Whisenhunt. And Arians refused to force him to change.

QBs can perform quite differently in different systems and with different coaches. Just look at Drew Brees. In San Diego, he was so average that they decided to dump him in favor of unproven Philip Rivers. And then Brees went to New Orleans and the rest is history. Different system. Different coaches. Different results.

Brees has been a 60+% passer for all but one season. His change was going from throwing 400+ times per year to 650 times per year.

supytalpeht wrote:

Brees has been a 60+% passer for all but one season. His change was going from throwing 400+ times per year to 650 times per year.

In 2002 and 2005, the only two years he played a full season with San Diego, he had more than 500 attempts each season, roughly the same number of attempts he had in 2006 and 2009 with the Saints. It's not like he went from throwing 15 times per game with the Chargers to 40 times per game with the Saints.

Wallace108 wrote:

supytalpeht wrote:

Brees has been a 60+% passer for all but one season. His change was going from throwing 400+ times per year to 650 times per year.

In 2002 and 2005, the only two years he played a full season with San Diego, he had more than 500 attempts each season, roughly the same number of attempts he had in 2006 and 2009 with the Saints. It's not like he went from throwing 15 times per game with the Chargers to 40 times per game with the Saints.

You can grab onto the Smizek thing and claim that Arians was too close to affect change, but to imply that having an OC and QB friends and on the same page is a bad thing is absolute bs. They need to get along and be able to listen to input from one another. The qb see's things on the field that the OC can't. Having a contemptuous relationship there is a bad thing because more than likely neither of them will respect the others opinion/input. Who are you going to listen to a boss that you hate/can't stand/think is an asshole or a boss that you respect and like?

150 more passing attempts is a small mountain. If that happened in PA you would be at the front of the line with pitchfork in hand. Drew Brees is the same qb that he was in San Diego. He's throwing the ball more and in the process taking more shots down field. That's the difference, not some mythical thing that Peyton has suddenly turned him into a great qb. You

Look at Brees and then look at Ben and tell me Brees doesn't put in more work than Ben. Ben consistently shows up to camp pudgy and Brees is ripped. One of them acts like a pro and puts in the work adn the other spends the off season getting blow jobs in bathrooms. It was never really said directly, but it was certainly implied more than once that Ben was largely an asshole and a poor teamate. Batch sat him down, Hines threw him under the bus etc. Now by all reports he's much better than he was, but by no means does he look like a guy that's spending the offseason honing his craft. Cowher, Tomlin, Arians, WHisenhunt none of them were able to get him to change his actions. It took two accusations of rape,being suspended for 4 games (and supposedly the Steelers looking to unload him)for him to reportedly change his tune.

New OC, new system, new results. Hopefully those results are Ben getting sacked/hit less, more passing yards (via more catches or more YAC), and more PLAYOFF wins. Let's face it, it doesn't matter how many games you win during the regular season (Packers), it's when you win them (Giants) that matters.

Here's to building off the previous success and hoping that a new OC means a very productive offense

BGSU A Dub wrote:

New OC, new system, new results. Hopefully those results are Ben getting sacked/hit less, more passing yards (via more catches or more YAC), and more PLAYOFF wins. Let's face it, it doesn't matter how many games you win during the regular season (Packers), it's when you win them (Giants) that matters.

Here's to building off the previous success and hoping that a new OC means a very productive offense

supytalpeht wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

supytalpeht wrote:

Brees has been a 60+% passer for all but one season. His change was going from throwing 400+ times per year to 650 times per year.

In 2002 and 2005, the only two years he played a full season with San Diego, he had more than 500 attempts each season, roughly the same number of attempts he had in 2006 and 2009 with the Saints. It's not like he went from throwing 15 times per game with the Chargers to 40 times per game with the Saints.

You can grab onto the Smizek thing and claim that Arians was too close to affect change, but to imply that having an OC and QB friends and on the same page is a bad thing is absolute bs. They need to get along and be able to listen to input from one another. The qb see's things on the field that the OC can't. Having a contemptuous relationship there is a bad thing because more than likely neither of them will respect the others opinion/input. Who are you going to listen to a boss that you hate/can't stand/think is an asshole or a boss that you respect and like?

150 more passing attempts is a small mountain. If that happened in PA you would be at the front of the line with pitchfork in hand. Drew Brees is the same qb that he was in San Diego. He's throwing the ball more and in the process taking more shots down field. That's the difference, not some mythical thing that Peyton has suddenly turned him into a great qb. You

Look at Brees and then look at Ben and tell me Brees doesn't put in more work than Ben. Ben consistently shows up to camp pudgy and Brees is ripped. One of them acts like a pro and puts in the work adn the other spends the off season getting blow jobs in bathrooms. It was never really said directly, but it was certainly implied more than once that Ben was largely an asshole and a poor teamate. Batch sat him down, Hines threw him under the bus etc. Now by all reports he's much better than he was, but by no means does he look like a guy that's spending the offseason honing his craft. Cowher, Tomlin, Arians, WHisenhunt none of them were able to get him to change his actions. It took two accusations of rape,being suspended for 4 games (and supposedly the Steelers looking to unload him)for him to reportedly change his tune.

That's why I said it will be a delicate balancing act between keeping Ben happy and disciplining him to remove his bad habits. I'm not saying he should have an overbearing, dictator of an OC, that's why I don't want Haley like others have expressed. That situation could cause a meltdown of monumental proportions IMHO. What is needed is a guy with a level head who is well respected and no nonsense. Somebody who won't put up with a disregard for team-first goals and a structured system who can still gain respect and genuine camaraderie between player and coach.

I just think Arians leaned a bit too much towards the "let Ben do what he wants and then we can go have some beers and catch a movie" attitude. Too much of either polarity can be a bad thing.