This Win Goes to the Steelers Coaching Staff

Todd Haley is Due Some Credit from SteelerNation Today

Did I really just write that?  Is that really the title of this article?  Am I still drunk off of the huge Steelers win over the much maligned Baltimore Ravens that essentially kept the Steelers' hopes alive?  Maybe I am, but the title is true.  If I were to give a game ball to someone for the Steelers win, it wouldn't be Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham, Heath Miller, Ike Taylor, or any other play.  No there would be 3 main game balls, and they would go to Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley, and Dick Lebeau.

I have been a harsh critic for the Steelers' coaching staff...all of them.  I've ripped Mike Tomlin, Dick Lebeau, and especially Todd Haley.  However, you have to give credit where credit is due.  I give Tomlin tons of credit for the job he has done with the team morale and keeping the players focused on the task at hand.  The Steelers could have easily slipped into mediocrity after starting the year 0-4, but during the bye week Tomlin kept the team focused, and the team has responded with 2 straight wins against quality competition.  Mike Tomlin isn't the best game manager, but his motivational techniques have worked so far this season, and he will have to remain on his "A Game" for this team to make something out of nothing.

Dick Lebeau is hard to criticize.  The man is a Hall of Famer and a top notch coach...period.  However, sometimes he tends to out think himself and become too predictable in his defensive play calling.  That was not the case yesterday.  The Steelers did something that the Ravens never expected...they played a TON of nickel defense.  They kept the Ravens guessing with players all standing at the line of scrimmage, using rookie Shamarko Thomas as a safety / CB in those situations, and were blitzing off the edges more in this game than they have all season.  Don't think this effected the Ravens?  It certainly did.  The corner pressure from Lamarr Woodley and the defensive backs blitzing caused Flacco to constantly be out of rhythm and never get into a groove as an offense.  One of the best decisions that Lebeau made was to deploy a "spy" on the Ravens running backs.  On passing downs you saw the Steelers most versatile defender, Lawrence Timmons, keyed on Ray Rice.  Rice got his yards, but he didn't have that back breaking play that seemed to turn the tide in the game.  No, Lebeau left the usual play book and put some wrinkles in, and it made a HUGE difference in the game.

No one should get more credit this morning that Todd Haley and the offensive coaching staff.  His wrinkles were ones that had the Ravens guessing.  What was more impressive?  Using the wildcat offense?  Deploying extra tackles to open up running lanes?  Showing balance for the first time this year?  How about all of them?!  The Steelers for the second week in a row look like an offense that has the capabilities to be 2 things: 1 - Dynamic and 2 - Unpredictable.  The latter is the most exciting.  The Steelers have utilized gadget plays, run screens, deployed the Wild Cat offense, and even have had WRs throwing the football.  If you are unpredictable, the defense is constantly guessing, and that is EXACTLY what happened on Sunday against a good Ravens defense.  The Ravens were never able to "pin their ears back" and get after the QB like they want.  The Steelers stayed with the running game, and putting Guy Whimper and Mike Adams in the lineup to help open running lanes made a huge difference (did I really just type that?).  The Steelers rushed for over 100yds as a TEAM for the first time this season, and it couldn't have come at a better time.  Throw statistics out the window, the Steelers offense played a great and a lot of that success is due to Todd Haley.

There are a lot of Haley haters out there, and rightfully so, but hopefully SteelerNation realizes that you should be criticized when its warranted, and given praise when praise is due.  Todd Haley and the rest of the Steelers' coaching staff all deserve praise on this Monday after the Steelers beat the Ravens 19-16 at Heinz Field to move to 2-4 on the season.