Steelers Todd Haley Means Something, But What?
The signing for the Steelers was eerily quiet. No big press announcement. No cameras. No speeches. Despite the lack of media hoopla and fanfare in the Steelers first coaching move of the offseason, offensive coordinator Todd Haley has been signed on for another two seasons.
Haley is a polarizing figure among those interested in things that are the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most of the media darlings that have the privilege of covering this team from the press boxes and locker rooms love him (save for a few who aren’t afraid to live in the world of fair criticism). Most of Steeler Nation loathes the man to a point so ferociously that the hashtag #HaleysVomit was created on Twitter as early as his first season.
Like it or not, Todd Haley is here to stay. So what does it mean?
The signing itself means that the Steelers front office is pleased. Pleased with a one and done in the playoffs? No, but pleased that the offense vastly improved in certain areas. The Steelers offense improved to being the #2 offense in total yards, tied for 1st in passing yards, and cracked the Top 10 (7th) in average points per game in the entire league.
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Ben Roethlisberger had career numbers and tied Drew Brees for the NFL honors of being the QB with the most passing yards on the season. The offensive line improved it’s run blocking. Le’Veon Bell broke out in a huge way. Antonio Brown keeps climbing that ladder that looks as if there’s no end in sight. Three star offensive players doing very well. Soon Martavis Bryant will be right up there as well. Can all of those things be attributed to Haley alone? Absolutely not. Positional coaches are playing a huge role here as well.
And yet, there’s major flaws to Haley’s scheming and play calling. It took more than half of the season for him to finally dump the majority of bubble screens out of the playbook and move to a more vertical passing game. Sure, he crapped the bed in the Wild Card game by living in his fears and rarely attacking the Ravens reeling secondary. But, for the most part, Haley looks as if he’s turned a corner in allowing the offense to move down the field rather than side to side.
The most glaringly flawed part of Haley’s coaching is Red Zone efficiency…. or lack thereof. The Steelers may have put up over 24 points a game, but many of those points came in the second half and playing catch-up. The offense consistently developed solid long drives in first halves, but always sputter and settle for field goals. The Red Zone efficiency between the first and second halves is well over a 20% differential.
The front office must expect that Haley will work on improving that part of his game plan in the offseason and in Latrobe. Or do they?
This signing could very well validate “Todd Haley” in Todd Haley’s brain and keep him from pushing to make his own significant improvements. Could the offense even regress now that Haley has this apparent boost of confidence from his bosses and is “safe?” Eh, that’s just a bit too cynical now isn’t it?
Sep 16, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest question facing Haley is if he can win some playoff games and get to the Super Bowl with the personnel he has – namely Big Ben. Ben is up for a new contract and he should be extended during this offseason. Should. I can only assume that it will happen. What other option does this team have – Gradkowski? Jones? An untested rookie?
That’s the most significant part about the Haley signing. The front office must feel that the iron is hot with the way the offense is performing. There are big changes coming within the defense after Dick LeBeau stepped away over the weekend. It’s obvious that’s the side of the ball that needs the most work. The Steelers offense got this team to 11-5, but the defense kept it from being 13-3 (or better).
That’s exactly what the front office must be thinking and it’s why they’ve decided, for now, to keep everything intact on that side of the ball. A few tweaks at offensive line here, an addition of a hybrid TE there, and Haley could be staring at one of the most overall solid offenses that and NFL coordinator can have.