Hang on to your hats folks!

The Steelers absolute lack of offensive creativity and play calling has been exposed and we are in for a rough ride!

The "only" part of our offense that is reliable is Ben. And when we average 5 dropped passes per game, that is a mess now too.

The key factors that tell me Randy Fitchner has no business being an OC:

1. We have seasoned and respected offensive linemen and the scuttlebutt is that they can be taught to pass block but can't be taught to run block? BULL ****!
2. We have three running backs who have average, or better, skills but they can't run? BULL ****!
3. If Ben isn't calling the plays the offense is pedestrian. If Ben is out, our offense is flat out poor. But it's because we have terrible back QB's? BULL ****!
4. There is rarely a hole allowing a RB to get into space.
5. Our offense runs virtually the same 6 or 7 plays, to our running backs, game after game.

I love the Steelers history of loyalty and promotion from within but when an ideal is directly responsible IMHO, for losses and near losses, it's time to make a change.

The Steelers can't fire Fitchner right now but they could quietly allow someone else to take over game planning and play calling for the rest of the season to give us a chance beyond one-and-done.

For example, at the tail end of Todd Haley's time here, Ben refused to even talk to him so dialog between them had to be relayed......very few people even knew this existed because the Steelers found a way to keep it out of the lime-light.

Find a way to minimize Fitchner's potential damage.

 

I didn't really like out RB depth and O-line depth going into the season. I wonder what KC's opinions going into the season actually were?

 

Three Pro Bowlers on the OL. Conners is 2 years removed from his trip to the Pro Bowl. Other teams have done more with less

 

Bengals game will provide some much needed medicine.

 

Agreed. It has been a rough ride for them and they can really use a win.

 

At this point we have already clinched, no way we get # 1 seed now we might as well sit Ben this week, maybe next week and let him heal up a lil, then just role the dice with him in the PO's

 

No that’s not gonna solve anything. Ben needs to play and get back some chemistry with these guys on offense. Plus, I have no faith in Dobbs or Rudolph to step in and win a game if they have too whether it’s against the Bengals or whoever. If Ben is healthy he plays period.

 

Disagree, A healthy Ben in the playoffs, is better than a beat up Ben, bring him back for the Colts, Browns let him develope chem those two games,.... 2weeks off coudnt hurt him , JMO Maybe with MR they woudnt be so quick to abanden the run, and actually get the run game going for the playoffs

 

Fichnter is Ben's boy, he isn't going anywhere. Tomlin and Fichnter were young coaches on the same staff at Arkansas State, that's how he was hired in the first place. He and Ben are buddies. To me, there are only three ways he gets the axe: 1) If pressure is put on Tomlin from the front office to do so. 2) After Ben is gone and the Steelers really do decide they want to go in a different direction. 3) The least likely scenario, Tomlin tells Ben he isn't the whole team, Fichnter isn't getting it done, and it's time to move on.

I like Tomlin, but he is borderline sociopathic in his loyalty to his assistants. Cowher fired assistants if they looked at him wrong. He couldn't have been right every time but you can't very well cut the whole team. Ben is definitely part of the problem because Tomlin is letting him run the show on offense. Yes, there are organic problems like the aging 0-line, dropped passes and terrible ground attack. Plus, I think Ben is playing hurt, knee(s) elbow or all of the above. But this whole "Ben has to like his coordinator or else" is an issue right now because this offense is anemic and pathetic.

 

If Ben didn't like his coordinator, Cowher would have told him too f'ing bad, case in point Ken Whisenhunt. Tomlin wants to be a HC but doesn't want to do the unpleasant business that is required of the position. He's a blessing and a curse because you know you'll get a winning season from him but if you want more than that? Look elsewhere.

At what point do you realize you're just pissing in the wind here?

 

Hey, I can't say for sure that firing the OC would do any good this late in the year. But with all the injuries, what could it possibly hurt?

 

I hope its a tail wind.

 

Pretty sure we clinch AFC North with a win vs Bengals and a Cleveland loss either this week or next. If that happens, you can rest him in week 16 and/or 17. Either way, Cincy is probably a must win for the division to keep the divisional tiebreaker lead over Cleveland. So, no, benching Ben for Cincy won't happen unless he's injured.

 

Like the Washington game?

 

When you accept the fact that Ben is the only player on the team who can negate Fitchner's ineptitude, you simply can't remove him until have nothing to play for.

 

This is a great summary! But. Tomlins stripe will forever be his stripes. He let's star players run the team and he isn't good at judging who should do that.

 

You lost me right there.

 

Many things will be answered for me in the next 3 games and what we do in the POs. If we lose to the Bungles, damn, that will be catastrophic for momentum going forward. We go 11-0 and then finish 0-5, damn, same thing and history repeats itself once again. Nothing with this team can surprise me one way or another..

 

Ben is healthy except for the rumored knee pain which, if due to arthritis, can't be fixed with rest anyway. He's barely getting hit with the dink and dump offense we're running. So I don't see any benefit to sitting him unless his arm is hurting him.

 

He is getting hit though and everyone is focused on the dink and dunk or the deep shots not connecting that they aren't seeing he is taking shots. The majority of the time he is getting the ball out quickly but he has taken pressure, sacks and hits after the ball is out. That's where some of the pain is coming from. He might not have Suggs putting his shoulder into the solar plexus or Nagata breaking his nose or God, Burfy giving him the business while he is on the ground but he is taking hits.

 

Our run game is a complete crap shoot because our OC doesn't place a priority on it, has no creativity, doesn't teach run blocking, etc.

Our receivers have dropped more passes in the last few weeks and just about any team in the league.

Ben......is the only reliable thing we have on offense.