A letter to Browns fans regarding their new offensive coordinator, Todd Haley

Dear Cleveland Browns fans,

Some of you might be wondering what to think about Hue Jackson’s most recent hire, offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Where do I even begin? I’ll start with the good.

Some may suggest Haley isn’t very good as an offensive coordinator, but he’s actually a tremendous offensive football mind. When he came into Pittsburgh he had two jobs: Get back to running the football and keep Ben Roethlisberger healthy. Although the team was never a run-first team, they were able to run the ball effectively and Roethlisberger didn’t get sacked as often under Haley, compared to previous coordinators.

But as great as Haley is, he also has some shortcomings. None greater than his ability to out-think himself instead of the opponent. What I mean is his attempts to go for the big play, when a one-yard gain would suffice and garner a new set of downs. The most recent example would be his power sweep play to Le’Veon Bell in the AFC Divisional round loss to Jacksonville on 4th and less than a yard. Pittsburgh needed less than a yard, but they lost two.

He was also famous for his game plans which always seemed to ignore the glaring weakness of the opponent. For example: this team can’t stop the run, so let’s try throwing it 50 times this week.

Classic Haley.

While Haley was good in Pittsburgh, he also had a tremendous offense to work with. The offensive line was one of the best in the league, a franchise quarterback with plenty of weapons at wide receiver, and one of the best all-around backs in the NFL. Some would suggest even the worst play-caller could look better than advertised with the Pittsburgh offense on the field.

Then there’s off-the-field Haley, or as we call him in Pittsburgh now “Tequila Cowboy.” Haley was involved in several altercations and incidents—almost all involved his wife too—out on the town in Pittsburgh. The most recent was at the bar called “Tequila Cowboy” where Haley, and his wife, were involved in a situation which saw them escorted out, and Haley was shoved to the ground, injuring his hip.

On top of all that, Haley’s personality is brash and often arrogant. He has been known for sideline blow-ups since his days as a Dallas Cowboys wide receiver coach under Bill Parcells. This personality was a large reason reports have swirled Ben Roethlisberger wanted him out, and the Steelers obliged.

So, to sum this up, Haley is a pretty good offensive coordinator. He will be able to dial up some tremendous plays. He will also dial up some bubble screens which will have fans ready to rip their hair out. Throw in his personality and off-field issues, and you have yourself a Pandora’s Box with your new offensive coordinator.

Enjoy Haley, but most of the fan base was happy to see him go.

Sincerely,

Steelers fans