Offense comes down with amnesia

By Mike Bires mbires@timesonline.com

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger has memory loss.

When asked what happened to the Steelers' offense in the season opener, he couldn't remember.

"I forgot about that game," he said. "I forgot about it. Sorry."

Really, Roethlisberger didn't forget about the poor offensive performance in the 35-7 loss to the Ravens. He just doesn't want to relive it. Plus, it was so pathetic that there wasn't even much to gain by reviewing videotape of it.

If ever there was a time to invoke the 24-hour rule -- one day to celebrate or lament a loss -- it was after this debacle.

What's most frustrating about the dud in Baltimore is that expectations are so high for the Pittsburgh offense this season.

"We have all this talent this season," Roethlisberger said halfway through training camp. "We can be as good as we want to be."

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/offense-comes-down-with-amnesia/article_759750d0-d703-56cd-a495-85d13c6147d7.html

The problem with being as good you as want to be, is the fact that you've got Bruce Arians holding them back. The man doesn't know how to use the talent he has on the roster.

Regardless of what we do offensively in the next 15+ games, I honestly believe that Bruce Arians needs to be FIRED at the end of the year.

stlrtruck wrote:

Regardless of what we do offensively in the next 15+ games, I honestly believe that Bruce Arians needs to be FIRED at the end of the year.

I hate to say this, but I'd almost be willing to sacrifice one season if it meant BA would get fired.

Almost.

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

Regardless of what we do offensively in the next 15+ games, I honestly believe that Bruce Arians needs to be FIRED at the end of the year.

I hate to say this, but I'd almost be willing to sacrifice one season if it meant BA would get fired.

Almost.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

Regardless of what we do offensively in the next 15+ games, I honestly believe that Bruce Arians needs to be FIRED at the end of the year.

I hate to say this, but I'd almost be willing to sacrifice one season if it meant BA would get fired.

Almost.

Let me ask you this ... would you have sacrificed one season if they would have gotten rid of Kordell sooner?
It's called delayed gratification.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

Never. That would be like saying you'd want to tank a season for a number 1 draft pick. What if the pick is a bust? What if the next OC is WORSE?

Why doesn't Ben audible more?

No, I'm not saying the team should ever tank a season. As fans, we want to win the Super Bowl every year. And we get upset when they have a bad year. All I'm saying is I would gladly endure a bad season if it guaranteed BA would be fired. And yeah, the next OC could be worse. But he could also turn our offense into a juggernaut. I've seen enough of BA that I'm willing to take the risk.

Here's why, as a fan, I'd be willing to endure a losing season to get rid of Arians.
Here's what he said about Mendenhall on Saturday ... one day before the Ravens game:

Quote :

"That's our lead dog," Arians said. "Everybody wants to talk about the wideouts and everybody else. Our lead dog is Rashard. We're going into the game with Rashard as the lead dog and everybody else feeds off of him."

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/steelers-follow-lead-dog-mendenhall/article_1542cb91-e4d2-553c-be0d-18544fabaf3b.html

Well, the "lead dog" had 12 carries against the Ravens. TWELVE!! He had 48 yards after six carries, almost halfway to a 100-yard game, then touched the ball only six more times the rest of the game.

Now I know what Arians apologists are going to say ... we had to abandon the running game and throw the ball because we were so far behind. But maybe the reason we were so far behind is BECAUSE we abandoned the running game. 5 of our 7 turnovers came when Ben was sacked and fumbled or threw interceptions. We were running the ball well early and then completely abandoned it. And we saw the result. Rooney told Arians he wanted to see the team run the ball more. I don't think 12 carries by the "lead dog" is what Rooney had in mind.

When Cowher was coach, if we had the lead going into the fourth quarter, the game was over. We ran the ball and killed the clock. In the Cowher era, if we had at least a 10-point lead going into the fourth, our record was 102-1-1. Think about that stat for a minute.
With Arians calling the plays, we've blown more fourth-quarter leads than I care to think about ... and quite a few big leads at that. I used to make jokes about Cowher-led teams sitting on a 3-point lead. But with Arians, I don't feel safe heading into the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead. Again ... how many big leads have we blown in the fourth quarter the past three years?

Sure, Arians apologists will say, "But how can you blame Arians for the defense allowing the other team to score?"
Simple ... the other team's offense can't score if they don't have the ball. Controlling the ball can be just as important as scoring points. Think about all the fourth quarter leads we've blown with Arians as our OC. Now think back to the Steelers-Browns playoff game in 2003. The Browns were up 17 points with about 3 minutes left in the third quarter. They had dominated us all game. But the "mighty" Steelers offense led by Tommy Maddox came roaring back and scored 29 points in a little over a quarter to win the game. And who was the Browns OC who kept giving the ball back to the Steelers rather than managing the game and running out the clock? None other than Bruce Arians.

So yeah ... I'd endure a losing season to get rid of him and bring in a new OC. Hopefully before he gets Ben killed.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

How many of those games was number 36 carrying the ball though?

I love Bettis, so please don't take this as me bashing him. Bettis was a great running back ... in our system. The Rams thought so much of him that they gave him to us for a bag of doughnuts and a six pack. But the Cowher regime knew how to utilize running backs. Before Bettis, we got equal production out of backs like Barry Foster and Bam Morris. Their careers were cut short by their own stupidity, but while they were there, they were just as good as Bettis. Hell, they turned Willie Parker, an undrafted free agent, into a superstar.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

Also, I think the NFL is a lot different than it was during the Cowher era. I'm not a BA advocate, but I'm just pointing out a few things about what you posted.

You're right ... the league has become more pass happy. But offenses can't pass if they don't have the ball. It's all about ball control.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

But has there been a dominant back year after year for the Steelers since Bettis?

Yes and no.
Fast Willie took over after Bettis and became a superstar. Then Arians took over.
As good as Mendy is, I'd love to see him if he played on a Cowher team.
-----------------------------------

One more argument against BA ...

Again, Arians apologists like to point to the fact that he's taken us to two Super Bowls and has won one.
But, as I've always argued, did we win because of him or in spite of him?

We all know that Ben is most successful when he's shedding tackles and extending plays. His career and reputation have been built off of that. But when you see Ben shedding a tackle and scrambling to find a receiver, that's not how Arians drew up the play. That's Ben and his receivers making something out of nothing. A good OC would put Ben in positions where he didn't have to scramble for his life every play and make something out of nothing. Go back to the Super Bowl-winning hookup between Ben and Santonio against the Cardinals. That wasn't a designed call by Arians. That was Ben telling Santonio where to go (notice him pointing), Ben making a great throw, and Santonio making a great catch. Or maybe it happened just the way Arians drew it up.