By Alan Robinson
Published: Saturday, August 3, 2013, 10:18 p.m.
Updated 7 hours ago
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.”http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-receiver-sanders-insists-he-is-concentrating-on-performance-697884/
