Thanks Mr. Rooney!
by Billy52 on Jan 31, 2012 7:05 PM EST
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PrintJust when we had nearly given up all hope, Steelers President Art Rooney II steps in to restore a much-needed dose of common sense. There should be no doubt anymore about who's in charge of the Black and Gold, and it's certainly not Coach Tomlin nor Ben Roethlisberger. Sometimes the people closest to the problem are the last ones to recognize it.
Let's face it, Bruce Arians has been a liability as OC for some time, but apparently nobody except the chief had the guts to get out the hook. Mike Tomlin might feel undercut and Big Ben might be miffed. The local Pittsburgh sportswriters claim to be horrified at the shabby way they believe this situation was handled. But that's really not Mr. Rooney's problem, is it? Either his team is improving or declining; there's no middle ground unless you enjoy watching a team that semi-sucks clawing its way to a .500 season record.
When you descend from a SB berth to losing your first playoff game to the Broncos in less than one year, it doesn't take a genius to tell you which way the wind is blowing. Nothing to do except lance that big, ugly boil and begin the healing process. We should all be glad that Art Rooney Jr. is no wimp.
You almost had the feeling that the Steelers' president was at the point where he wanted to personally boot Arians out of the FO door. Or perhaps he envisioned the scene from "Lord of the Rings" where Gandalf removes the spell of Saruman from Theoden (Tomlin) and tosses Wormtongue (Brucie boy) down the stairs.
So at long last, here's what I take as the not-so-subtle hint from Art II to Coach Tomlin and his $100 million QB:
"Pay more attention to what's going on with your team. Don't allow previous success to blind you to big problems nor allow them to fester. This isn't what we're paying you a truckload of money to do."
Art Jr. and brother Dan were raised in a home where the family business was a perennial NFL doormat. No matter how huge or obvious the problems, rarely was anything done in those pre-1969 days to effectively right the Steelers' ship. In fact, some of the decisions made by the FO in olden times (e.g. hiring a succession of no-account head coaches and releasing young hometown boy, Johnny Unitas) were epic in their stupidity.
Can anyone blame Art II for never wanting his team to return to this dark and hopeless place? While he might first give his head coach or players a few hints or gentle nudges, eventually you can bet your life that the hammer is coming down. Maybe the only reason why the Black and Gold have become such a successful NFL franchise is because the Rooneys learned the hard way exactly what not to do with their football club.
First on the list of "don'ts" is tolerating mediocrity. As an NFL owner, you simply cannot continue to look the other way when a coach for whom you've provided great and costly talent consistently fails to get the job done.
Once you allow yourself to become oblivious to big problems, your team can fall quickly and stay down for a long time. Nobody knows this better than Art II and brother Dan. And if we don't see some significant improvement by the Steelers' offense next season, don't be surprised if the Rooneys make further changes.
Dumping Arians might not provide any immediate benefits on the field, but the mere statement this move makes about who's running the team and what they expect is valuable strictly in terms of setting the right tone. Thanks Mr. Rooney for the cold slap. I think we're all paying attention now.
GO STEELERS!!
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Exactly Right
If I am Art Rooney here is my reasoning. I invest a *#$%load of money and a lot of early round draft picks into my offense for five years and the best they can do is break the top 10 in scoring once in that time. The return on the investment is insufficient.
First give some hints on how to get it done. Run more consistently (as opposed to “run the ball more”).
Then after you finish 22nd in total offense and they’re not “running the ball more consistently”, change the guy in charge.
You can bet if there isn’t improvement in points scored (and more consistent running :-)), there will be more pointed hints and eventually more changes.
by Toronto Steeler Fan on Jan 31, 2012 9:21 PM EST reply actions
What is it with all these posts that allude to our team being on the verge of disaster? I don’t get it.
well everyone is entitled to their opinion...we are just a spoiled fan base in my opinion
and hence when we do not win the SB every year some feel like the sky is falling.
I can resist everything but temptation.....
by the duchess of steel on Feb 1, 2012 9:34 AM EST up reply actions
To me this reads as an insult to the Rooneys. If Mr. Rooney felt that he had to do this to show who the boss is then the team is going down the tube. I do not think the team is going down the tube or has to “head off” anything.
I am still wondering why people doubt Arians commitment to the run. In 2010 only 7 team had more rush attempts per game than the Steeler. 4 of the the 7 made the playoffs and The Steelers beat two of them. only 3 of those 7 2010 Teams scored more pts per game then the Steeler. Of those 3 only 1 made the playoffs. Atlanta was that team and the funny thing is they made moves this offseason to get a more explosive pass team.
Thsi is Mr. Rooney’s team. He can hire had fire who he wants. The he “Retired” story made him look like he was questioning the intelegence of the people that cover the Steelers. What made it worse was the more he spoke the worse it got.
When you make a change like this you have to make it clear what you want so people can give it to you. When I hear Todd Haley I do not think of it has an upgrade from what they had.
Bottom line I just want to know what the plan is.
I have to agree with your first line there. It certainly does imply
This one really got to me
When you descend from a SB berth to losing your first playoff game to the Broncos in less than one year,
I think the Cardinals are the only team in the last 5 years to even win a playoff game following a Super Bowl win or loss.
But hey, that’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard people accuse Arians of. (that award goes to the guy that blamed Ben’s motorcycle accident and both assault charges on him, that simply can not be topped)
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Short Memory
Steeler fans have alzheimers. The Steelers went to Super Bowl XLV with……………….
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRUCE ARIANS~!!!
I will walk again if Told Haley gets the job. Quarterback coach Randy Fichtner or former quarterback coach,Tom Clements will be the next offensive coordinator. Or, the Steelers might wait and hire a healthy Kirby Wilson.
What is up with all these posts lately that claim to speak for all of us? That’s some world class arrogance there.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
I'm only speaking for myself.
This is strictly how I interpret the removal of BA, nothing more. But people like to read things into what you post and tell you that you said things you never said.
polarized bunch around here, but I guess that’s to be expected.
I get what you were saying, especially that part about Bigfoot being real
But you keep pulling out your "refs-threw-the-game" card if that’s what you need for catharsis. You can use that card after every loss. It is a lifetime pass. Get it laminated. -Maryrose
Hahaha...
especially that part about Bigfoot being real
I missed that part, I was laughing so hard at his comparison of BA’s redzone offense to the Loch Ness Monster.
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
Suisham cut, signed bigfoot.
"They timed it perfectly, they just went too soon." - Darrell Waltrip commenting on an illegal restart.
Am I also to understand that having Arians was horrible,and we definitely need a new OC, but if the offense is worse, that’s ok because it’s not Arians?
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
This
I agree with you.
My opinion on Arians was that he was an excellent coach and a streaky playcaller. Arians developed some of our favorite stars, such as Big Ben, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown etc.
Change does not guarantee the new OC will be better.
Formerly known as Steeler_
BTSC's token Kiwi fan. That means I'm a New Zealander. Yes, that small country next to Australia....no we are not part of Australia
by Michael Hewitt on Feb 1, 2012 4:08 AM EST up reply actions
hahahahahaha
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill
u r welcome
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill
I certainly agree that BA was merely mediocre
Its not an indictment on his proclivity to steer young players in the right direction by giving them an opportunity to succeed, its not even about his offensive scheme which in theory was pretty good. If you look at the offense from the outside you will see a 1000 yd rusher, 2 1000 yd receivers and a 4000 yd passer and surely that looks a whole heck like an offense is killing it. The problem lies in the most important facets of the game, red zone offense, game adjustments, and playcalling, and it is all of these that BA was mediocre (notice I didn’t say he was the worst). We have all rightly come to the conclusion that Rooney wanted BA to run the football “better” not “more” and I really think that being able to run the ball better would have helped the RZ offense. BA was unable to develop an effective run game 20 yards from the goaline. I thought that defenses did a good job making adjustments on our offense or had come into the game with a better gameplan than us, again not terrible, but mediocre. And how many times can each of us say that we stared at the TV set and said “what the hell was that play?” There were stretches where BA looked like he couldn’t miss, but there were more times that we’d go 3 and out and put our defense right back on the field do to shady playcalls.
You can reply to my message and tell me I’m a BA hater blah blah blah, which I am not (thanks for your time, thanks for the memories), but the fact of the matter is that this is the Steelers, those years before the 70’s are long gone, we are an organization of excellence now(see 6 Lombardi tropheys in pretty display case), mediocre just doesn’t get it. It is a good time for a change, Ben is roughly 30, old enough to understand any offense, but young enough to be still teachable, and we also have a glut of weapons that suprised many of us. Sometimes its important to get out of the paradigms that enslave us and make drastic changes in order to move forward (as much as I love LeBeau his time is coming soon). Its time for us to stop resting on the SB win that happened a couple of years ago and forge ahead to break new ground on another string of SB’s, that is where I didn’t believe that BA was the right man for the job.
by Piratefan13 on Feb 1, 2012 7:14 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
+7 and Rec'd for summarizing things so well.
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
The only problem with BA I had was his play calling
He was a great designer of plays and was good at getting the most out of players. But his lack of situational football was my problem with him, its nothing new his lack of situational football was what allowed us to comeback against the Browns back in 2002, that and Tommy Maddox playing out of his mind. But to say that it was a move that needed to happen may be a bit of an overstatement but I can see the logic behind it.
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Lloyd, Andy Russell, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Clemson should've stopped turning the ball over" Dana Holgorsen when asked about running up the score in the Orange Bowl
same here I think most people had this problem with BA
off-topic
do you think the Pirates will have a better season this year?
by steeler_in_maryland on Feb 1, 2012 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
I believe so
Another year of experence for Cutch, Walker, Tabata should help and after a lost year Pedro needs to come out firing on all cylinders or at least not play as bad as he did last year. Pitching will be solid but not spectaular and at various points in the year guys should be graduating from the minors to help the team.
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Lloyd, Andy Russell, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Clemson should've stopped turning the ball over" Dana Holgorsen when asked about running up the score in the Orange Bowl
The Pirates are due....
…and as Krusty points out, so are the Washington Generals.
I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.
- Homer J. Simpson
Screw-Up?
If people just do not like Arians or a pass centered offense fine. It is Mr. Rooney teams and he gets to hire who he wants. But here his the rub.
There better be a new offense that looks nothing like the one in place , because if there is not then the firing will have made no sense.
Losing an offensive FA to the Colts becuse of money is okay but if it is becuse of the offense they run the I will have a problem with it.
If this is a run offense then the Steelers Youung RB’s better be as well reguared are the WR’s.
Bottom line at the 2012 season it has to be clear to everyone why this Arians was let go.
It doesn't matter if the offense looks the same...
they could give him BA’s own playbook. Its not just about pass and runn. It is much more so about if the new OC can produce with better situational play-calling, and make some real adjustments throughout the game.
"Leave the gun. Bring the Canolis."
It does
No it does matter. When people bring up “Situational Play-Calling”, it rings hollow to me. 31 Turnovers can alter a lot of game situations. I have seen far to many blown assinment, dropped, passes, missed passes and bad penaltyies to play the “Situational Play-Calling” card. Injury issues that the Steelers have had on the offense tells me that there have been adjustments made, just out of plain need. Most of the time Steelers had to make moves just to get through the game not simple to win this. When you are down to Essex in the 2nd half at center and win. The is an adjustment +. To me.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 2, 2012 1:28 PM EST up reply actions
You don't run a toss sweep with your slowest RB on 3rd and 2 when you are trying to run out the clock
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Lloyd, Andy Russell, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Clemson should've stopped turning the ball over" Dana Holgorsen when asked about running up the score in the Orange Bowl
So you’re able to find one example of a bad call (that could have been a good call if executed properly, since it had the element of surprise)? Sweet. Now for your next trick, find me one OC in the history of the NFL that hasn’t made a multitude of questionable calls (according to arm chair experts)? That would be much more impressive
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Bad Call
Is it a bad call to give the ball to a “Hall of Fame” RB on the 2 in a Divisional Playoff Game. THe “Rightness” or “Wrongness” of a play will not make it a sucsess or failure.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 2, 2012 10:11 PM EST up reply actions
How is this the OC's fault?
I have seen far to many blown assinment, dropped, passes, missed passes and bad penaltyies to play the "Situational Play-Calling" card. Injury issues that the Steelers have had on the offense tells me that there have been adjustments made, just out of plain need. Most of the time Steelers had to make moves just to get through the game not simple to win this. When you are down to Essex in the 2nd half at center and win.
Having Essex playing center
isnt what i meant as an adjustment, or “situational”. im talking about having a QB on one leg, and 3 back-up OL in the game, abd BA is still calling for the long ball. Ben never had enough time, and didn’t have the power to push off and make the throw. That is stupid. And that is what i meant by situational play-calling. Along with his horrendous red zone offense.
"Leave the gun. Bring the Canolis."
I think people are being too extreme with their conclusions about run-first
No matter what you think was being said, there was never any mention about run-first, pass as an afterthought being installed.
A lethal pass game supported by strong running and ability to keep the ball away from the other offense is what is being looked for. That includes High percentage 7 scored in the RZ once there.
But you keep pulling out your "refs-threw-the-game" card if that’s what you need for catharsis. You can use that card after every loss. It is a lifetime pass. Get it laminated. -Maryrose
It is easy to clear up
All Mr. Rooney has to to do it stop being so cryptic about what he wants and how he sees getting there. This is on him.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 2, 2012 10:17 PM EST up reply actions
I'm pretty confident the FO has verbalized what they want and you don't even need a decoder ring
or to turn on NFL Network and wait for a microphone to be put in front of him ala Rex Ryan. There is no big secret IMHO.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
"Oh... you're a northerner. What exactly do they call 'you people' from Pittsburgh?" "They just call us LUCKY."
Really?
1. The QB does not seem to know.
2. The Coach made it clear he wanted the OC back and his contrat was not renewed anyway.
3. There were 3 members of the “in need of change” offense at the pro-bowl. To me you do not need a decoder ring to see that there were some things that were working very well for the offense.
Look this is the Rooney’s call. It is their team, but they are handling this poorly IMHO. This is a 12-4 team not a 4 -12 team. At this point the front office has implictly said that the coach does not have final say on his staff. Most coaches that have been to the SB twice have final say on thier staffs.
I have said this before. The “retirement” story was laughable and beneath them. All they had to to was say Coach Arians’s contract will not be renewed and this is how we are moving forward. Now you have a 12-4 team with more questions than needed going around it.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 3, 2012 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
Well then according to your theory, nothing needed to change. But it did. I’m looking forward to seeing that change.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
"Oh... you're a northerner. What exactly do they call 'you people' from Pittsburgh?" "They just call us LUCKY."
Yep
A 12 – 4 record. 4 Members of the offense made voted to the pro bowl. If you make a change it better be a good one. 4 – 12 you make a change and hope for the best. 12 – 4 if you make a change out of your own choice it better work. In 5 Years Steelers have 4 Playoff appearances. 2 SB Appearances and 1 SB win. How many other teams have stats like that over the past five years? Need tp improve on some things? Yes. Need to change. No.
I am not looking forward to changing what the Steeles have had over the past 5 years.
Again it would be nice to know what the change was going to be.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 3, 2012 9:56 PM EST up reply actions
Even at 12-4 there’s plenty of room for improvement including but certainly not limited to redzone efficiency amongst other little details. The FO made it known publicly for the past couple of years what they wanted to see from the offense. I could be wrong, but by not renewing Arians contract, they made a pretty clear statement that he chose to, or maybe even verbalized to them, that he had different ideas. That’s fine, he’ll just have to do what he wants to do in another organization.
I would be very unhappy if the Steelers management, who produced a team with 4 playoff appearances, 2 SB appearances, 1 SB win, a host of great players who make the Pro Bowl yearly, felt as if “they have arrived” and don’t need to continue to strive to meet and achieve the standard of excellence the franchise is build upon.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
"Oh... you're a northerner. What exactly do they call 'you people' from Pittsburgh?" "They just call us LUCKY."
Another important feeling I forgot to include is that, as a fan for 47 years and counting, I have faith and a belief in the management of the Steelers.
I look forward to another year of pleasant surprises with the draft, the development of young players, watching the veterans leading by example and a team filled with players who also believe in “The Steelers Way.”
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
"Oh... you're a northerner. What exactly do they call 'you people' from Pittsburgh?" "They just call us LUCKY."
Maybe they realized that, despite the 12-4 record, this team was not that good. Plus we had the NFC worst division as our non conference games, and the AFC south for our in conference. That is 6 really bad teams.(obviously Houston and SF weren’t, thus the “6” Then of course there’s the Browns, who we only managed to score 27 on in two games. If our schedule was any harder, we may have only won 8 games. They have much more intimate knowledge of their situation than you do.
As far as your retirement story, I still can’t understand why you are crying foul. They allowed Arians to save face. What’s so bad about that? It has also been said that he would retire if the contract wasn’t renewed, obviously he changed his mind when the Indy offer came through. But even if not, so what? I don’t know if you’re a newer Steeler fan, but when have they ever been open about the inner workings of their team? They owe us nothing along those lines. Also, they probably don’t want other teams knowing what’s going on. That’s why the Steelers organization, and the Patriots (hell, any successful organization) keep everything close to the vest.
If they said Tomlin doesn’t have final say on the staff, maybe it’s because they want to try different things, because in their mind he held on to Arians so long.
How are improving and changing not the same thing to you? improving is a change. It’s like the old business saying (paraphrasing, I don’t remember it all) "if you’re not improving, you’re dying. We conceded a division title to one of the worst offenses I’ve ever seen.
Lastly, and for clarification purposes. You don’t need to know anything, because there is nothing to know. The freaking Super Bowl hasn’t even happened yet. Did it occur to you that the Steelers are one organization that’s actually going to be respectful of the two teams in the Super Bowl and not try to make noise in the news, and be media “look at me” whores? (or at least keep it to a minimum). But even if that’s not the case, why do you feel like you are owed information right now?
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Here We Go
And the “If you are a true long time long time Steeler Fan You Would Understand” meme hits. Fine you want to be seen as “True Fan” I give you your spotlight. One of my best memory as a kid is Superbowl XIII; so, I guess I must yield to your “mighty fandom”.
But the way I do know that the Steelers are not free and easy with information. The Steelers are seen as straight shooters. They keep things close to the vest but they do not “pee on peoples head and tell them it is raining”. They know it hurts your credibility. Mr. Rooney did not do the Steelers, Coach Arians or himself ant favors with the “Retirement” story. When you do not release much informantion, the informantion you release should not contradict each other. Speaking of contradictions…
Were the Steelers “Media Whores” when the hired and fired the offensive line before the the Superbowl in 2010. Was the the “Steeler Way”? All Mr Rooney had to do was say we will not be renewing Coach Arians contract and we wish him well. Saying the retirement strory was a was to help Arians same face is silly because there is a fired former Pittsburg OC working to get is 2nd ring this year as OC of the Giants.
Oh about Soft Schedule, 11 of the the 16 Teams the Steelers faced this year in the regular season ranked in the top 11. Patiorts are a great organization but they did not defeat one team this year in the regular season that finished above .500. But here is the deal, they beat who was in front of them that is why the are where they are. The only other team that can say this in the Giant and that is the way it should be.
Improve and change are not the same the way I put it. Look at it this way. Since he was a rookie Ben has improved how he has played but he has not changed the way he has played.
The easiest way to keep things close to the vest to work in a way the does not raise questions.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 4, 2012 12:08 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not sure what the attitude is for
but that’s ok. You’re not the first and certainly won’t be the last. Are you so sure that Arians wasn’t the one who said “retirement” when he knew the Steelers were parting ways with him? How do you know the announcement wasn’t based on exactly what BA said he was going to do and when he got a call from another team he wasn’t the one who changed his mind??
I’ll answer that: you don’t. The man wasn’t fired mid-contract, his contract wasn’t renewed. Big difference.
Similarly neither you nor anyone else playing arm chair owner, GM or coach has the slightest idea if the changes won’t result in the improvement that is in fact needed for this franchise to move forward and win.
Read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today. Joe Greene speaks specifically to the changes in the offense and why he’s in complete agreement with the decision to send BA elsewhere.
I’ll end with this: as for “mighty fandom”… there might be some out there who follow this team and love them equally as much as me; but I guarantee you, there isn’t anyone who loves them more.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
"Oh... you're a northerner. What exactly do they call 'you people' from Pittsburgh?" "They just call us LUCKY."
Fine You Are Love Love Struck By the Steeler
Well I think I can answer that, but i also think that since you guarantee “there isn’t anyone who loves them more” you may have missed it.
1. Back up NT show more love by the Front Office than Arians when he “retired”.
2. Mr. Rooney raised questions on the subject when he would not give a straight answer on it. Bringing up the fact that he had spoken of retiring for a number of year when you see what is going on at defensive coordinator. But since you guarantee “there isn’t anyone who loves them more” you may have missed that.
Okay Mean Joe is with and seem to have on your side. It said as much in the article. Mean Joe is a class act but he is also in the FO now. He also said this:
“And the Giants, they run the football pretty good, but they mix in the pass, and they can throw the ball.”
It should be pointed out that 31 team in the NFL run the ball better than the giants but you my have missed that since “there isn’t anyone who loves them more”. Steelers run the ball better than NE and NYG. Of the games metioned in the article I remeber droped passes in the end zone and on 3rd down (That at least could have kept the clock moving.) I also remember quite a few fumbles. In the AFC championship I remeber a droped pass and a missed FG more than the NE run game.
I have said it before the FO gets to make the move that want. It is their prorgative. All I ask is that they no pee on my head and tell me it is raining, At this point I would also ask that the FO say nothing adout the OC until the new OC is choicen.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 4, 2012 5:38 PM EST up reply actions
It should be pointed out that 31 team in the NFL run the ball better than the giants
Yep, and in 06, there were 31 teams that stopped the run better than the Colts. But in the last game and all the playoff games, they played like there were 31 teams worse than them at stopping the run. Same can be said about the Giants so far in their playoff run.
Either way man, I don’t know what to tell you. You’re making a big deal about nothing. You have no idea what went on.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Take a chill pill
You’ve been posting for weeks about how terribly the Rooneys’ handled the “not re-newing Bruce Arians’ contract” situation. I’ve still never once seen a story where the Rooneys’ said he was retiring. He was the one who said that after his contract was not re-newed. So I’m not sure what your getting at with all of your ridiculously long comment posts about nothing.
"Leave the gun. Bring the Canolis."
Bwahahah
Okay I will make try make this short and sweet. You said this:
I’ve still never once seen a story where the Rooneys’ said he was retiring.
This what I found.
Here is a link to the Official Steeler Site on the Arians “retirement”.
Here is another link with this quote:
Although Rooney sidestepped the question at first, he gave a peak into his thought process a little later.
"Bruce talked about retiring for a number of years now," Rooney said. "We are looking to improve on offense and to have somebody in place for a number of years. I think it was time for a change. We are looking forward to moving on."
This was also in the artilce
Rooney initially did not answer the question of if he had anything directly to do with Arians’ departure.
"The question of how we got here is not really relevant," Rooney said. "The key now is that Mike (Tomlin) has begun the search for our next offensive coordinator. We will go through the process and interview the right candidates."
“The Steeler Way” has been brought up time and time again when looking at the change in OC. To me sidestep and not dealing with things directly are not in the “Steeler Way”. When you look at the “retirement” issues at Defensive Coordinator and how the retirement of Chris Hoke was done it makes them look unsteady and it undercut their head coach. I do not like it. I admit most do not have a problem with it but I do.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 5, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
Well its the truth
“Bruce talked about retiring for a number of years now,” Rooney said. “We are looking to improve on offense and to have somebody in place for a number of years. I think it was time for a change. We are looking forward to moving on.”
It’s not like they came out and said he was thinking about retirement when he actually wasn’t. The man is 60 years old, i’m sure he had thought of retirement in the past. And he even said he would retire if his contract wasn’t renewed. Its the same way coach Lebeau has talked about retiring. Except that the defense is still good, so they would prefer to keep renewing his contract.
"Leave the gun. Bring the Canolis."
Okay...
But you did say…
I’ve still never once seen a story where the Rooneys’ said he was retiring.
I showed the link to the Offical Steeler site about the retirement. I even linked to show how Chis Hoke’s was done. You do not have a problem with how it was done so be it.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 5, 2012 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
who are the four members you are talking about from our offense that made the pro bowl? I only count two (Ben, Wallace) unless you want to count Brown, who was voted in as a ST player.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Antonio Brown went on ST but he also played WR and CB..lol
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
"Oh... you're a northerner. What exactly do they call 'you people' from Pittsburgh?" "They just call us LUCKY."
Or maybe
The Rodney’s were trying to be classy and not " fire" him
May not have worked or been the right decision but don’t you think that was the intent? Let Arians save face if he wants to
I know he had health problems before. But I would never keep a guy who " thinks about retiring" from time to time.
Give me a break
This was not about doing Arians a solid. Coaches are fired in the NFL all of the time. Kevin Gillbride seems to be doing okay after being fired as a Steeler OC. He was the OC in 2007 When the Giants won and he has a chance to do it again this year. By the way when you wonder about the retirement of the DC Every year. People should not bring up stabilty questions IMHO.
Againg Rooney can hire and fire who that want. But It is hard to hide that they did not do this very well.. They undermined the Head Coach and have let this drag on to long.
by Willard Taylor on Feb 3, 2012 2:46 PM EST up reply actions
Agree somewhat
But every coach when interviewed after last game says they want everyone back. What else can you say? Tomlin comes out undermined but I don’t care. He needs the help IMO
But my pointl still stands. If BA doesn’t yap, and doesnt get hired by colts he can ride off into retirement and didn’t get fired. Turns out he was not happy. Went public and kept working. So now he was fired Still think Rooney trying to be classy. Ends up looking weird but who cares?
Tomlin not smart enough to manage Arians and not smart enough to fire him so Rooney steps in. Good by me
Tomlin should be next...
The end of the season with how they handled Ben’s injury and the lack of running against the Broncos when they were running so well, make me lean more towards the Head Coach as far as the problem.
Ben should have been rested.. PERIOD. Since he WASNT rested, they should have run the ball more in the game against the pathetic Broncos. They were averaging 4to8 yards a carry and just decided to stop running. That would be fine if the QB wasn’t hopping while trying to throw. Some of his passes looked like I was throwing the ball.
My point is though, that Ben obviously had mind control powers over Arians in controlling the game, but when does Tomlin step in for some responsibility. What the hell was he doing dureing the game? Thinking of catchy post game quips? I just feel after such a strong season (where everyone on NFL network and ESPN was saying we are too old to win).. losing to Teblow made 12-4 seem like 8-8. Tomlin should be looking over his shoulder.
Are you insane? You want to get rid of the best coach we’ve had since Noll (though an argument can be made that he is THE best because Noll didn’t have to deal with free agency, and was able to keep pretty much the same group throughout the 70’s) because you don’t feel like they ran the ball enough in one game? In a game in which they were down by two touchdowns?
I don’t know why you’re so sure Ben should have rested (other than hindsight). He still wouldn’t have been healed by the playoffs, so he’d be injured AND rusty.
Thank God the team isn’t run by people like you.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Their rushing average was 6 yards a carry before they opted to stop running. Being down by 14 against a team that can’t light up the score board and blitzes the pass well shouldn’t make you panic to pass.
I’d rather see a slightly healthier Roth versus the one legged one we saw in the game rusty or not. Roth got hurt in the game and was even worse for wear which should have made some better protection packages as well. I’m not saying to push the delete button on Tomlin, I just feel he should be looking over his shoulder.
To answer your first question.. I am not insane. Remember we are all able to form our opinions, and just because you feel Tomlin is the best coach doesn’t mean he is.
The “insane” part is that you are suggesting that “Tomlin should be next” (IE, after Arians, as the next one out the door) because of this one game. There have already been comments about the rushing average for that game, and that it was misleading. They used their strategy to change the score from 20-6 to 23-23. What they did on offense worked in the second half.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
While I am not calling for Tomlin's job
I do think Tomlin is culpable. He said the team did not need to invest as heavily on OL, if the team has offensive weapons to back defenses off. Well I would say the team had the weapons yet Ben was hit time and time again. Mostly what I have heard regarding Mr. Rooney revolves around him wanting Ben better protected, running helps because Ben does not get hit on run plays.
The Steelers don’t win a SB if Ben’s career is cut short due to injury and he has been sacks way too many times over the last few years. Was anyone not screaming at the television in the 2nd half against SF for Ben to be pulled from the game? Yet Arians kept him in even though he was getting hammered and Tomlin stood on the sidelines watching it all happen. When your the boss you have to answer for the people under you.
Should the Steelers have sat Ben for an extended time? I could not answer this at the time because I was not talking to the doctors, Arians was. It was apparent during the beating he took in SF that he should not have been finishing the game. The next week he sat and Batch won. Against Cleveland in the finally Ben was injured again. The against Denver he was injured the play before he threw his int. If faced with an injured Ben at 70% or a rusty Ben at 90% I would take the later, and that is not even counting looking forward to the NE game when you have a choice between an injured Ben at 70-80% or a Ben at 90-100% after resting. Does it matter if they lose to Denver because of rust? If Ben faces the Pats banged up what are the chances they win?
How can I think Ben would have been healthy if sat during the SF game and then for the rest of the season? Did he look ok in the Pro Bowl that was only three weeks after the Denver game. If you cannot win the SB without a healthy Ben is there any other choice but to rest him. You could argue that Ben could have healed while still playing, but is that realistic after watching the OL and him hold onto the ball all season?
Some revealing stats from the Denver game. During the 1st quarter of the Denver game Redman rushed for 39 yds on 8 carries. They passed 13 times connecting on 7 for 79 yds without an int or sack. They led 6-0. In last 3 quarters Redman ran 9 times with only six in the 2nd half. While dropping to throw 36 times. With this much discrepancy the Broncos dropped their safeties to protect against the deep pass and the DL pass rushed on each play. The 6 carries resulted in 77 yds rushing. Two of these big runs almost exclusively let to one TD, so the 36 drop backs amounted to 10 pts. Is that good? The passing game averaged 5.42 yds per play compared to Redman’s 7.1 yds per carry. I am not saying the Steelers lost because of the play selection. I am just saying it was not good.
If your argument is that you cannot run when you are down 14 points, I counter… during "The Comeback" game between Buffalo and Houston in 1993 Buffalo ran 4 times during their first drive after falling behind 35-3. This rushing was with Kenneth Davis the backup RB after Thurman Thomas left injured. He finished with 13 carries for 68 yds.
Agree
Not sure how you put Tomlin ahead of Cowher. Not calling for Tomlin to go but I am off the band wagon. What does he do? Not involved in game plan unless he seems to agree with Arians ( which is not a good thing). Won’t step in to put redman at goal line back. Can’t manage the clock at the end of the half. Seems like a good leader but not sold on him as HC
Are you asking me how I put Tomlin ahead of Cowher? Simple…2-0 at home in the championship game compared to 1-4. 4 of the 7 losing seasons since 72 were under Cowher’s watch.
Players manage the clock, not coaches, they are just standing on the sidelines.
As far as game plan, could you possibly link me to where it says how much of the game plan Tomlin and Cowher were involved in?
As far as Redman, why exactly are you so convinced he’s better to go to in the goal line? The coaches (rightfully) stick with Mendenhall because he gets in to the end zone most of the time. (four redzone td’s against Cincy alone, last years game winner vs the Ravens in the playoffs, etc)
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
So you said Tomlin is the best coach, yet you just said coaches only stand on the sidelines??? What do head coaches do in your world? It reads as though they get credit for winning and losing but do nothing else?
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