Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff likely to undergo changes in the offseason

• killer_ewok

  

  Reportedly a source close to the situation informed ESPN's Adam Schefter of this. Special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, offensive line coach Larry Zierlein and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians are all rumored to be on the chopping block. I'd be fine with all of those coaches being replaced.
  
  That's a helluva shakeup for one offseason but those are all areas where the Steelers have some serious issues.
  
  http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4738788
• Al Capone

  I can only hope you are right.
• Non

  

  maybe they should get Charlie Weis
• killer_ewok

  

  Non wrote: maybe they should get Charlie Weis

  Wow. In that case I can't get away from the guy. LOL
• Al Capone

  Remember when we had Bobby April as special teams coach? He would run up and down the field. That is whats missing on special teams. The players now seem its a burden rather than a pleasure to be on special teams.
• Ironman92

  

  I would love those moves to happen.
  
  Special Teams is completely unacceptable.
  
  Arians is still in 1958
• grass_licker

  i would love to have weis as a offensive cordinator
• Walt

  

  killer_ewok wrote: Reportedly a source close to the situation informed ESPN's Adam Schefter of this. Special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, offensive line coach Larry Zierlein and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians are all rumored to be on the chopping block. I'd be fine with all of those coaches being replaced.
  

  I would drive to Pittsburgh and pack their bags for them. I hope they have the nerve to pull the trigger. I'll believe it when I see it. Tomlin promised line-up changes after the Oakland loss but the same 22 started in the Cleveland game.
• Heretic

  

  Al Capone wrote: Remember when we had Bobby April as special teams coach? He would run up and down the field. That is whats missing on special teams. The players now seem its a burden rather than a pleasure to be on special teams.

  I loved Bobby April as a special teams coach! He was enthusiastic and it rubbed off on the team. That's what they need to get as a replacement — a high-energy guy who's looking for a high profile stepping-stone position to a better coaching job. He'll be looking at the job he does as our ST coach as what will give him a better job and will be going all-out every day of the week. And when he moves on, find another guy in that mold.
  
  As for the two offensive coaches, I agree wholeheartedly. The OL has gotten worse as the season's gone on. I mean, eight sacks last week? That's pitiful against ANY team, let alone the one that was considered the worst in the league by many of its own fans. And Arians isn't getting the job done, especially in the red zone. So far this year, the Steelers have been as good as anyone at moving the chains between the 30s-20s, but are distressingly poor at punching into the end zone. When you're 6-7 and all seven losses have been by 7 or fewer points, you have to be thinking that if your offense has taken advantage of one more situation or that if your special teams had not given up that TD (or near-TD, as Cleveland's win was helped by the Cribbs return inside the 10 to set up their TD that was the winning margin).
  
  It just seems like every week, they play to the level of their opponent under the impression they'll be the team making the big play in crunch time. They've been wrong seven times. As a fan, this is the most frustrating season I've ever experienced just because of that. This team has beaten Minnesota and San Diego....while losing to KC, Oakland and Cleveland. Utterly inexplicable the way things have gone down.
• Al Capone

  ^^^ 2 thumbs up!
• Little Danny

  

  I don't talk about NFL football much on here or on the old Huddle but I am a Steeler fan (yes I went to UC but I am from the Ohio Valley originally).
  
  The coaching changes are a good idea, but I want to take this in another direction. I honestly believe Ben needs to lose some weight and improve his stength and conditioning. He is not as mobile as he was in year's prior and as he ages it will only get worse. He also needs to improve his decision making as far when to get rid of the football. At the current pace, he won't last another five years in the league.
• Ironman92

  

  I think since his concussion his decisions have been bad and he's been very "timid" under pressure, understandable....but not like Ben
• Non

  

  The Steelers cornerbacks have no interceptions through 13 games.
  
  According to Ed Bouchette, there hasn't been a season where no cornerback has recorded an interception, at least since 1969.
• dont_belong

  

  Man I miss Wisenhunt and Grimm!
• thavoice

  Heretic wrote:

  Al Capone wrote: Remember when we had Bobby April as special teams coach? He would run up and down the field. That is whats missing on special teams. The players now seem its a burden rather than a pleasure to be on special teams.

  I loved Bobby April as a special teams coach! He was enthusiastic and it rubbed off on the team. That's what they need to get as a replacement — a high-energy guy who's looking for a high profile stepping-stone position to a better coaching job. He'll be looking at the job he does as our ST coach as what will give him a better job and will be going all-out every day of the week. And when he moves on, find another guy in that mold.
  
  As for the two offensive coaches, I agree wholeheartedly. The OL has gotten worse as the season's gone on. I mean, eight sacks last week? That's pitiful against ANY team, let alone the one that was considered the worst in the league by many of its own fans. And Arians isn't getting the job done, especially in the red zone. So far this year, the Steelers have been as good as anyone at moving the chains between the 30s-20s, but are distressingly poor at punching into the end zone. When you're 6-7 and all seven losses have been by 7 or fewer points, you have to be thinking that if your offense has taken advantage of one more situation or that if your special teams had not given up that TD (or near-TD, as Cleveland's win was helped by the Cribbs return inside the 10 to set up their TD that was the winning margin).
  
  It just seems like every week, they play to the level of their opponent under the impression they'll be the team making the big play in crunch time. They've been wrong seven times. As a fan, this is the most frustrating season I've ever experienced just because of that. This team has beaten Minnesota and San Diego....while losing to KC, Oakland and Cleveland. Utterly inexplicable the way things have gone down.

  Agreed totally on the ST coach. I forget what totally happened but didnt he make a lateral move to maybe NO when he left? Been so long ago I cannot remember.
  
  After the SB season many of us were still talking about how badly we hated Arians. The team last year won by defense, the ST were solid but not spectacular, and the offense was predicated on BR making plays out of pocket with his scrambling ability.
  
  The running game was terrible and I am not a fan of a running attack without a FB. (Ill get back to that a bit later). Not alot of the plays came out of the normal offensive set. Team couldnt run the ball and the passing game wasnt bad but was all BR scrambling around and NOT what is in the playbook. It was playground passing attack.
  
  There have been some teams who have been successful running teh ball without a FB. Colts, Rams in the 'greatest show on turf' years to name a couple. Thing is..those teams were so feared in the passing game, and most times went with at least a 3 WR set, and at times 4. That forced the defense to play the nickel package and not crowd the line. If they did...bam....the play is changed and they get lit up. When the steelers want to run many times it has 1 or 2 TE, and without the FB to clear the way they never can consistantly run it. Now..the OL being bad is part of it too but I am not a fan of having a lead blocker. I forget what Denver used in the past...but they used a very effective zone blocking scheme that allowed pretty much anyone to rush it well.
  
  When they played the browns on Thursday night......in the wind..in the cold...against a defense that sucked against the run..and the steelers line up in 4 wide on third and 1, and third and 2, in the first qtr in the shotgun that, to me, signed Arians walking papers.
  
  Steelers used to be predicated on toughness. Now they are a finesse team. The running game is a nuisance to Arians. He puts token effort into it.
  
  Yes, I know...BR is a very good QB. Some may say a great QB..and they may be right, but you can be a great QB but still play in an offense that can be punishing. The OL wasnt fixed after a terrible season last year. BR holds onto the ball at times for sacks, but ya gotta take the good with the bad. He does make alot of plays that way.
  
  On teh defensived side they miss TP this year, big time. Also, at times Farrior has looked a step behind. Against the browns there were a few occasions he took poor angles of pursuit and the RB sped by. To me that says he just doesnt have that quickness anymore.
  
  Timmons may be anotehr Kendrell bell. Alot of promise..but not panning out. Missing Smith has hurt as well...but he is gettin old and prolly aint gonna be around much longer. In the past backups did a great job filling in and that is why they ahve allowed top players to leave over the years...because they felt they had the depth. Maybe some good seasons and poor draft slots have caught up with the depth of the team. Entirelly possible.
  
  On ESPN they said that some are saying a rift between Ward and BR is hurting the team..and Ward has more support. I can def see that and if I had to take sides I think Ward would be whom I would support...even tho I know BR is teh future and HW's career is over in not too distant future.
  
  MT is facing adversity for the first time. In his first season the team faltered down the road and lost in the first playoff game to Jax. some felt the team wore out after a tough camp and season and he let up a bit in year two. This summer it was nicknamed Camp Cupcake.
  
  The interest in this taem has waned with the losses mounted. We cannot go this weekend and our tix on ebay had a total of ONE bid..with like 2 min to go and barely got face. Typically there are tons of bids and some good $$ To be had.
  
  
  The OL has been a staple of the steelers over the years. It is a weekness now as they have focused on the skill spots..and also...have overpayed for some of their own OL to stay.
  
  
  I think they can win 2 of the last 3 and finish 8-8..then clean some house a little bit and start anew next year.
• Non

  

  Ben has been one of the best at throwing off the play action but with their offense now they don't establish the run enough to set up the play action.
  
  I think it's good to have the no huddle and spread, if needed, but not all the time.
  
  The call on the first series of the Browns game was all you needed to know about Arians. The Steelers ran two plays and had 3rd and 1, then went to the shotgun. The weather was bad. Ben was too bundled up. It was okay to be conservative and run three plays. Arians is too pass happy and he's unwilling to adjust regardless of the circumstances.
• Non

  

  Defensively, I counted only 4 of 11 starters from last year that are on the field this season and producing close to the same level.
  
  DE Brett Keisel (yes)
  NT Casey Hampton (yes)
  DE Aaron Smith (no, injured)
  OLB LaMarr Woodley (yes)
  ILB James Farrior (no)
  ILB Lawrence Timmons replaced Larry Foote (no)
  OLB James Harrison (yes)
  CB Ike Taylor (no)
  CB William Gay (no)
  SS Troy Polamalu (no, injured)
  FS Ryan Clark (no)
• thavoice

  Mendenhall can be a tremendous RB for the steelers if the scheme was there to support it. After his benching vs the bengals in the first game (on offense that is) he has been a man possessed. Can you imagine him running behind a leading FB (and not the 3rd string TE posing as a FB) and then teams having to decide what they are going to try and take away..the strong run game or BR throwing the ward, miller, holmes and/or Wallace?
  
  This offense can be much more dynamic if they would use the running game effectively. RM has done very well in the chances he gets...and as steelers fans we all know that the running game is an attitude a team brings to a ballgame. It slowly wears on other teams. One of the reasons why the defense, in my opinion, is slacking in the 4th is because the offense no longer effectively can run the ball and play keep away. Used to be the offense could take that 4th qtr and shrink it down and give th eother team very little time to make any type of comeback I do think or TOP is actually better than last year....and that is a mystery on how it happens....but I have a theory....8 returns for TD's by opponants. Each time that happens a new steelers drive starts and helps TOP...but not the score.
• Non

  

  For what's it worth, here is what must happen for the Steelers to make the playoffs:
  
  Steelers win out (yeah right!) and finish 9-7
  
  Denver lose at Philadelphia and one other game (Oakland or Kansas City) and finish 9-7
  OR
  Baltimore lose to Pittsburgh and one other game (Chicago or at Oakland) and finish 8-8
  
  N.Y. Jets lose two (Atlanta, at Indy, Cincinnati) and finish 8-8
  
  Jacksonville lose two (Indy, at New England, at Cleveland) and finish 8-8
  
  Miami lose to Pittsburgh and one other game just to be safe (at Tennessee, Houston) and finish 8-8
  
  Tennessee lose one just to be safe (Miami, San Diego, at Seattle) and finish 8-8
  
  Note: Miami losing to Pittsburgh would give the Steelers the head-to-head but there might be another team tied at 9-7 making it AFC record, which the Steelers would lose.
  
  Tennessee can not have a better AFC record than Pittsburgh if both teams win out and the Steelers beat Tennessee so it would be better for the Titans to beat the Dolphins.
  
  
  We'll see what happens this weekend. It seems bleak but let's say Indy beats Jacksonville, Atlanta beats the N.Y. Jets (need Ryan back), the Steelers beat the Packers and either the Broncos or Ravens get upset by either the Raiders or Bears. It would be game on.
• Gymshoe

  

  With all the close games the Steelers have lost this season, I am surprised that they are in panic mode with the coaching changes. A play or two in each of their losses turns those into wins and they would likely be 10-3 or better right now. Losing Polamaulu and Ben and other key players has hurt bigtime.
• Non

  

  They have been able to bounce back after a down year.
  
  After missing the playoffs in 2003, the Steelers went 15-1 in 2004 and won the Super Bowl in 2005.
  
  After missing in 2006, they won the division in 2007 and 2008 and won a Super Bowl.
• Al Capone

  Good facts Non. I for one watched Sunday just to see if the teams lost that we needed to. Denver and Jacksonville both lost to give the Steelers a glimmer of hope.
• thavoice

  Gymshoe wrote: With all the close games the Steelers have lost this season, I am surprised that they are in panic mode with the coaching changes. A play or two in each of their losses turns those into wins and they would likely be 10-3 or better right now. Losing Polamaulu and Ben and other key players has hurt bigtime.

  Ben was out for one game plus OT. With him they couldnt beat the raiders, browns or Chiefs in regulation so that excuse cannot be made.
  
  TP...yeah...that has hurt on the defensive side of the ball big time. As for the coaching changes...the ST have been terrible. THe rumored OC being in trouble, well, not a lot of steelers fans have been too happy with him and feel the team has won in spite of his play calling and on the sheer play making ability of the QB and on the defensive side of the ball.
• Prescott

  The games that were lost versus Chicago, KC and Oakland should never have come down to one play. The Steelers should have had those games in their pocket at the end.
  
  It is inexplicable that a team could dominate Denver and San Diego, defeat the Vikings and lose to Chicago, KC, and Oakland.
• thavoice

  ^^same with the browns. No way should that game have been even close.