Haley in Unenviable Spot with Steelers? Not so Fast Mr. Judge

Countdowns, rankings, and lists seem to be the go-to themes used by pundits every N.F.L. offseason to give us the fans more to chat about until our professional football thirsts are quenched. CBS.Sportsline’s Clark Judge recently listed 10 N.F.L. Coaches (Head and Assistant alike) which he believed might find themselves in “unenviable positions” during the 2012 season, and one of the ten was newly hired Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley of the Steelers.

I however, do not necessarily agree that Haley is in as “unenviable” of a spot as Judge believes he is. In fact, I believe that Haley might be in quite the advantageous position as the new Offensive Coordinator for the Steelers. Thus, today I would like to discuss why Judge’s estimation on Haley might be a bit misguided, as well as why I believe Haley is in a solid position to help himself as well as help the Steelers’ Offense over the coming seasons.




Haley might have it better than most people like Clark Judge believe. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Talent Everywhere on Offense

How on Earth Haley can be in an “unenviable” spot when one considers the talent he has to work with on the Offensive side of the ball in Pittsburgh is definitely something which makes absolutely zero sense to me. I mean, just look at a sampling of the players at the skill-positions on this team as they are entered Training Camp today:



Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger

Wide Receivers: Mike Wallace (Hopefully), Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery

Tight End: Heath Miller

Running Back: Isaac Redman, Chris Rainey, Jonathan Dwyer



Not only are their four Pro Bowlers in this mix, but Pittsburgh’s Offensive Line has received a much needed face-lift and should be on the upswing as early as this season with their infusion of talented youth over the last three years. Between the Quarterback, the five talented pass-catchers which each bring a unique skill-set to the table, the stable of Running Backs, and the revamped Offensive Line, Haley has essentially been given the keys to a fully-loaded Porsche in his new position. I can say confidently that two-thirds of the Offensive Coordinators around the League probably wish they had some, if not most of the players which Haley has at his disposal entering his first season with the team.



Bar Has Not Set Particularly High and “Arians Factor”

As we all know, famed “Bubble Screen Wizard” and Haley’s predecessor Bruce Arians “retired” this past offseason which paved the way for Haley to be hired in his spot. And as we all remember, or would choose to forget depending on how one looks at it, the Arians tenure was not something which could be considered “stellar” by any means considering how efficient the Offense was with the talent it had, especially in the Red Zone.



Last season was a prime example of the Steelers’ and Arians’ struggles, as Pittsburgh finished only 21st in the League in Scoring (20.5 PPG), scored a meager 2.2 TD’s per game which ranked them 20th, and scored Touchdowns on just over half of their trips into the Red Zone last season (50.91% 17th).

Because of the Offense’s underachievement under Arians, the bar will not necessarily be set as high for Haley to come in and turn this Offense into a juggernaut from Day 1. Realistically, Haley will likely only need help this Offense improve from the pedestrian stats and output which they put up under Arians. By not having to replace any sort of legend, Haley will literally only need to have this Offense operating at an efficient level this season, and that will likely yield a marked improvement over the 2007-2011 seasons. So many were stoked when the organization made the decision to let go of Arians that Haley will be walking into a situation where any upgrades and improvements will be appreciated and welcomed by “Steeler Nation.” A fanbase which was sick and tired of game-plans which either ignored the team’s strengths and weaknesses far too often and sputtered when 7′s were needed instead of 3′s.



read more:

http://nicepickcowher.com/2012/07/25/haley-in-unenviable-spot-with-steelers-not-so-fast-mr-judge/

Quote :

Bar Has Not Set Particularly High and “Arians Factor”

As we all know, famed “Bubble Screen Wizard” and Haley’s predecessor Bruce Arians “retired” this past offseason which paved the way for Haley to be hired in his spot.

That's all you need to know.

Wallace108 wrote:

Quote :

Bar Has Not Set Particularly High and “Arians Factor”

As we all know, famed “Bubble Screen Bozo” and Haley’s predecessor Bruce Arians “retired” this past offseason which paved the way for Haley to be a savior in his spot.

That's all you need to know.

Fixed the quote for you, Wally.