Todd Haley “Challenging Everybody” on Offense

Aug 12, 2013; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) listens as offensive coordinator Todd Haley (right) instructs during training camp drills at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier in the week, Mike “sound-byte king” Tomlin referred to the Steelers’ performance in their Week 1 loss to Tennessee as “not that bad.”  How or why Tomlin came to that conclusion after such a sloppy and pathetic outing I am not sure, but offensive coordinator Todd Haley seems to be less than thrilled with how his offense played last weekend according to an article by Alan Robinson of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

"“We’re challenging everybody, …  Nobody played the way we needed to play or the way we can play and expect to play.”"

I am just happy to see that Haley actually cares enough to honestly say that his team essentially “laid an egg” in Week 1.  32 rushing yards on 15 carries will not cut the mustard at any level of football, a sieve-like offensive line allowing five-plus sacks per game kills drives, and turnovers in the red zone take points off of the scoreboard.

The Steelers must “answer the bell” when they play a much more formidable foe in the form of the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.  As much of a liability as their offensive line is at the moment, they still have Ben Roethlisberger under center and a group of wide receivers who can make positive things happen in space.  As much of a “team in transition” as Pittsburgh is, there was no excuse whatsoever for how they played last Sunday against Tennessee.

If the Steelers’ offense shows zero signs of improvement, continues to sputter and cannot handle adversity well enough on a weekly basis, then Haley might be forced to look for a job when the regular season is finished.

Stats & Info. Provided By: ESPN.com, Steelers.com and Pro Football Reference

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