Friday, February 14, 2025, 2:35AM |  31°
MENU
Advertisement
Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley once again must adjust game planning because of missing frontline players.
1
MORE

On the Steelers: Offensive coordinator reaches deep into bag again

Nate Guidry/Post-Gazette

On the Steelers: Offensive coordinator reaches deep into bag again

In another life, Todd Haley coached a college golf team. There, he no doubt taught players how to use all the clubs in their bags.

He has experience doing that coaching the Steelers offense, too, only maybe more than he would prefer. He had to negotiate games using three different quarterbacks last season and already he must go to No. 2 again on Sunday following Ben Roethlisberger’s knee surgery.

This, plus the juggling of halfbacks to open consecutive seasons, the turnstile of receivers and the changes in the offensive line as injuries and suspensions play havoc with what once was thought possibly could be the best offense in the NFL.

Advertisement

“We’ve been through this before,’’ Haley said Thursday.

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier practices at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex today.
Ray Fittipaldo/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Shazier in, Gilbert and Williams out for Patriots game

The Steelers rank ninth in yards produced and ninth with an average of 25.7 points per game. Yet in their two losses, they managed only 18 points combined — 12 below their goal of points per game. They also rank tied for eighth with six interceptions.

Landry Jones, who did not pull on a uniform in his first two seasons, will make his third NFL start Sunday against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field. He has just 55 career passing attempts, but Haley said those were important to his development.

“He’s just solid all around. He’s going to make good decisions, he’s going to throw the football where it’s supposed to go. For him — for us — to take another step forward, it’s going to be just executing at a high level.”

Advertisement

Jones said this week that he wants to be “cautiously aggressive” on Sunday.

“You got to pull the trigger,’’ Haley reasoned. “You got to trust your preparation, trust the guys around you, trust what you’re seeing and then just let it rip. If there’s any tentativeness, that will usually drag a quarterback down.”

Other than Antonio Brown, Jones will throw to a mostly different cast since the last time he started. Martavis Bryant, who helped him pull out a victory against Arizona last season, is sitting out a season-long suspension. Markus Wheaton is injured. Sammie Coates, who mostly did not play as a rookie, also is injured but played through it last week, albeit ineffectively. Le’Veon Bell was knocked out for the rest of last season on Nov. 1. Heath Miller retired and Jesse James is now the starting tight end. Marcus Gilbert is out with a foot/ankle injury and center-guard Chris Hubbard starts at right tackle. Cobi Hamilton came off the practice squad to catch the lone touchdown pass in Miami.

If Haley were digging in his bag for a club to use Sunday, it would be a “rescue” club because the Steelers find themselves deep in the woods with no sight of the green.

Steelers quarterback Landry Jones throws during practice Wednesday afternoon on the South Side.
Ray Fittipaldo
Steelers receiver Antonio Brown confident he and Landry Jones have better chemistry than last season

“We got other different moving parts, potentially Cobi playing some, Sammie, all the different moving parts we’ve had. We’re going to game-plan as best we can to the strengths of our players, the same goes for the quarterback, obviously.”

With the defense also banged up and under-performing, it would behoove their offense to at least hit their goal of 30 points Sunday, and that still might not be enough with Tom Brady driving the Patriots machine. Can Landry Jones quarterback an offense to that many? He still has Bell, he still has Brown, so it’s not as if he has no playmakers.

“Ben’s not in there, we understand that,’’ Haley said. “Guys then just have to step in and execute their job exactly the way they’re supposed to do it.

“I think we got a lot of good options. I believe that’s what will give us a chance to win week in and week out. We have a number of weapons, we have versatility. Those are all positives for us.”

It would seem the game plan under Jones would look a lot different than one under Roethlisberger — run more with Bell and play keep-away from Tom Brady? Haley said there will be little change because of the switch in quarterbacks.

“No, not really, because Landry has been around such an extended period of time. On top of that he’s played a ton in the preseason, he did again this year. It makes it pretty seamless for us as far as game-planning.”

It’s the game, not the planning, they must worry about.

Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.

First Published: October 21, 2016, 4:00 a.m.

RELATED
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger walks off the field after throwing an interception against the Dolphins in the third quarter Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Ray Fittipaldo
Steelers file formal complaint saying Suh kicked Big Ben
Former Steelers coach Chuck Noll looks on during a game.
Joe Starkey
Joe Starkey: Belichick's visit a reminder of Noll's greatness
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
The Three Sisters’ bridges are suspended over the Allegheny River as the sun rises over Downtown and PNC Park on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
1
business
SEA board approves slew of stadium upgrades for Steelers, Pirates, Penguins; Pittsburgh tourism reaches 2019 levels
During a Tuesday, Feb. 11, press appearance, Elon Musk mentioned the Iron Mountain storage facility in Butler County, pictured in this 2016 photo.
2
news
What is the Butler County mine Elon Musk mentioned in a White House appearance?
An aerial view of Lawrenceville, A second lawsuit has been filed to force a property reassessment in Allegheny County, with both saying county officials are using an outdated system.
3
business
Judge tosses Pittsburgh Public Schools lawsuit seeking Allegheny County property reassessment
A cutout batter sits in the bullpen at Pirate City, the spring training facility of the Pittsburgh Pirates, during a spring training baseball workout in Bradenton, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015.
4
sports
Joe Starkey: Bad news Pirates outdid themselves on Day 1
Philadelphia Phillies' Darick Hall plays during a baseball game, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in Philadelphia.
5
sports
With Pirates' first base job up in the air, newcomer Darick Hall remains motivated to prove he belongs
Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley once again must adjust game planning because of missing frontline players.  (Nate Guidry/Post-Gazette)
Nate Guidry/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story