Steelers reportedly make big coaching change
Less than a week after a 45-42 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that wasn’t quite as close as it seems, the Pittsburgh Steelers are shaking up their coaching staff in a big way.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport is reporting that the Steelers have opted not to renew the contract of offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
The Steelers are now in the market for a new offensive coordinator.
According to Rapaport, a big reason for Haley being let go is that his relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not “sustainable.”
Quarterback coach Randy Fichtner has reportedly emerged as the favorite to replace Haley, due in part to his strong relationship with Roethlisberger.
There is also speculation that Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak turned down a second interview for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching vacancy because he is also being considered for the Steelers offensive coordinator position.
As ignominious of an ending to the Steelers season as it was, this move is still a head-scratcher.
In 2017, the Steelers were ranked third in total overall offense.
The Haley-coordinated Steelers offense notched 6,047 total yards and averaged 377.9 net pass yards per game. Both figures trailed only the high-powered offenses of the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints.
The Steelers also averaged 25.4 points per game in 2017, good for eighth in the league.
Also of note, Haley’s dismissal comes just a scant 72 hours after his team scored 42 points against the league’s second-rated defensive unit in the AFC divisional round.
While a good quarterback will always be more important than a good offensive coordinator, it seems the Steelers should have done more to explore whether the relationship between Roethlisberger and Haley could be sustainable.
Haley was the Steelers’ play-caller from 2012 to 2017.
During that time frame, Roethlisberger never threw for fewer than 3,200 yards or 21 touchdown passes.
And while Haley’s role may not have been nearly as extensive as the Steelers’ running back and wide receivers coach, he still presided over the emergence of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.
Bell and Brown are arguably the best running back and wide receiver in the NFL. They’re certainly two of the most productive players at their respective positions.
And Haley certainly played a role in maximizing their talents.
It’s hard to view his release as anything other than scapegoating. It’s even more confounding when considering how averse the Steelers have historically been to major coaching changes.
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