PPG: Steelers Report: A Look Back At Disappointing Season

[pete74]

Originally Posted by Riddle_Of_Steel

Almost without a doubt, Ben's injury was probably the biggest factor contributing to his end-of-season implosion. I would think it is kinda hard to establish an effective throwing motion when you have some broken rbs floating around in there near your aorta.

This I agree with

[fer522]

Originally Posted by GoFor7

Maybe not all of us are hanging our hats on a three game stretch for one season?

All the Haley apologists looks back to the games against the Bengals, Redskins, and Giants and say "Look! It worked!"

Really? It had nothing to do with the fact that the Bengals and Redskins were playing their worst football of the season (11 drops by WAS receivers in that game). Or the fact that the Giants generally start their mid-to-late season slump in November? Same could be said about the games against the Jets, Eagles, and the Ravens the second time - all teams that were slumping or beginning a skid.

Perhaps some of us aren't just ready to hang our hats on the Haley offense when you already have a QB that is 10-5 in the postseason, 3 SB appearances, 2 SB wins.

"But Haley will make him better!"

All those 3rd and longs early in the season suggest it was Ben making Haley look better actually.

You know who else has been to 3 Super Bowl and has 2 rings?... Charlie Batch

[GoFor7]

Originally Posted by fer522

You know who else has been to 3 Super Bowl and has 2 rings?... Charlie Batch

Someone had to hold Ben's clipboard in those games.

[austinfrench76]

Ben has a new baby is the reason?? C'mon bro's - THERE IS NO CHANCE IN HELL HE DOESN'T HAVE A NANNY. Maybe several! I do live in California now so maybe I'm just jaded!

But seriously, the reason for the season - Ben's injury for sure. Playing like an MVP, gets hurt, comes back different - end of story.

[torpedoshell31]

The Steelers played 8 games this year that were decided by a FG in the final seconds. In those games they were 3-5. If they were 5-3, they would have finished 10-6 and won the division and everyone would have said they had a good year. When in fact the only difference would have been 2 FG's.

[steelfury02]

If Ben made Haley look better and is so responsible for the outcome of an offense - Ben needs to do a better job of making people look better.

You can't make claims like that and then come back and say he has to do it because he's handcuffed. Ben is capable to improve - which he absolutely must do for the offense to become elite for once.

Enough of the marty ball stuff - I've witnessed Ben go for the home run many times when all he had to do was check down, run to the open space 3 yards in front of him for the 1st down, and have seen Brown and Heath wide open for a 10-12 yard gain and see Ben take a sack cause he didn't have the time he wanted to go for the air raid. Ben has been responsible for getting sacked out of field goal range on at least a few occasions because he refuses to throw the ball away or take what the defense gave him. Sure - his skill set has produced some of my favorite memories of him - it is simply not enough anymore.

If he's so responsible for success of an offense - I'd say its a mixed bag - his skill set is something you are relying your whole debate on - and guess what - not 1 elite or even efficient offense has been produced from that skill set alone. He needs a coordinator to help him understand there is more to the QB position than guts. It isn't enough to get to where they need to go - he needs to take his game to the next level on top of the skill set he already has.

[Ricco Suavez]

I think these two Knowledgeable writers hit most of the problems on the head. I love that they spread the so called "blame" around because this was a team failure. While I will defend Ben for taking most of the blame he has to shoulder some of the issues for the late season collapse and his inability to pull out at least a few of those close games. I think the Steelers lack an identity right now, they do not know if they are a power team, a finesse team, a cerebral team , a big play team, or a dink and dunk team. They lack the RBs and the hogs up front to be a true power team, not sure Ben is the caliber of QB to run a sophisticated offense like a Peyton, or the Dink and dunk like Brady, but I feel they tend to be more of a finesse team with big play capabilities. I would love to see some commitment to a better running game, but unless we can get some consistency out of the OLine and the RBs I foresee more short yardage shortcomings.

[mikegrimey]

Even before Ben got Hirt and our offense fell apart, it's not like we were lighting up the scoreboard. The only game we scored more than 3 TDs in was against Oakland, and they were playing without any quality CBs.

[Riddle_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by pete74

Sorry but I have a one and a 5 year old. I spend every second awY from work with them and my job never suffered foe one second because of them.

Not trying to be argumentative, but...

a) You are not an NFL QB. The duties, expectations, and amount of time you have to put into your job may not be on the same level.

b) Big Ben is NOT you. We already have read many times that Ben is NOT a filmroom junkie at all, without the added distraction of having a newborn around. You may very well be a better professional than a lot of the guys we watch on Sundays and think the world of.

An NFL QB cannot spend "every second away from work" with their kids like you did and expect to succeed. That is a job that requires you to spend a lot of your own personal time studying the playbook and analyzing film in the off-hours. That is, unless you want to be Mark Sanchez or throw costly pick-6's to lose games in the final moments.

Originally Posted by pete74

I'm sure there are a few parents that can't handle parenting and work but I'm not one of them and I wouldn't expect a professional athlete who really only needs to give it his all one day a week to be one either

So....NFL QBs only work one day a week?

The state does not even think people should handle being a parent to a newborn and work at he same time-- that is why they offer 12 weeks of paternity leave for all new parents, 6 weeks paid, 6 weeks not. Most workplaces also feature some sort of paternity allowance. The NFL does not-- its schedule is static.

NFL QBs don't have the luxury of taking a month or two off from work to focus on their newborn.

I don't much care if he has a dozen nannies or not. When that baby cries or makes a sound-- it is instinctual-- you WILL wake up. Many times per night.

[Riddle_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by mikegrimey

Even before Ben got Hirt and our offense fell apart, it's not like we were lighting up the scoreboard. The only game we scored more than 3 TDs in was against Oakland, and they were playing without any quality CBs.

But they still ranked higher in scoring than 3 out of 5 Arians' offenses. Throw in the fact that they were racking up ridiculous ToP, using Heath Miller more effectively, and converting 3rd downs at will, and I don't see how anybody could be looking backwards at Arians' days as the "good ole days".