Blame Bruce Arians!
Hey kids! Have you played the new game that all the cool kids are playing? It’s fun! It’s Exciting! What is this cool new game? It’s “Pin the Blame on Bruce Arians!”
Bruce Arians’ play calling has been the topic of a lot of discussions for Steelers fans all season and it reached its peak immediately after the loss to Jacksonville in the playoffs. When discussing Arians, people fall into one of three categories:
- Those who want Arians fired
- Those who support him wholeheartedly
- Those who are taking a “wait and see” approach
Behind the Steel Curtain has had a nice little debate on Arians and his playcalling. It’s worth checking out and I encourage you to do so. I’ve included some of their points, below, along with my two cents thrown in.
BTSC author “cgolden” makes a couple very good points:
- The fade passes into the end zone have got to stop
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve never liked those plays unless you’ve got someone with some serious vertical leap at wideout which the Steelers do not have. Passing into the end zone is all fine and dandy, but Ben seems to do well with play action roll outs where two receivers are rolling with him. This gives him the option throw it to one of two different receivers or to just tuck it and run. It’s been effective as long as he’s been here. I understand that you don’t want to be predictable when calling plays in the red zone, but that’s still a hard play to defend even when you know it’s coming. The reason is that although someone like Heath Miller may be covered well, Ben can throw it low and away where only he can make the catch. Maybe the fade pass thing has been Arians’ way of trying to mix things up, but it’s just not worked this season for Pittsburgh. - He doesn’t always play to his strengths
What cgolden mentions about the play calling in the wild card game concurrs with Swami’s postgame analysis. The running on first downs did more to hurt the Steelers offense in the first half than help it. It put Ben in 2nd and long and 3rd and long situations which just exasperated the problem. It contributes to interceptions and sacks (which happened a lot last week).
In rebuttal, BTSC author “blitzburgh” makes some great points as well:
- The offense was vastly improved this season
I completely agree. While by no means perfect, Arians, Ben and Ken Anderson made great strides this year which will make next year all the more exciting to watch. In other words: don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. - Arains seems to abandon the gameplan at times just for the sake of mixing things up
I agree with blitzburgh that sometimes his thinking seems disjointed. Sometimes it appeared that Arians and Ben had a good gameplan in those scripted first drives and then it was as if they hadn’t planned any further. Now I know this isn’t the case, but you have to wonder. It’s as if Arians out-thinks himself or something.
What I tend to look at is the overall body of work Arians has produced this season. Compare this years play calling to the the Whisenhunt years and you’ll see an slight difference. Under Whiz, the Steelers were primarily a run-first team. They ran the ball roughly as much as 60% of the time. More than any other team in 2004 and 2005. Those stats changed a bit in 2006 due to being behind so often. Look at 2007, though. Arians called designed running plays approximately 500 times this year (I didn’t count QB scrambles). Compare that to 441 pass attempts. That’s a Run/Pass ratio of 53% to 47% which is much more balanced.
But check this out. When you break it down, “cgolden” makes a great case that the Steelers propensity to run on first down makes them very predictable. Over the course of the season, the Steelers ran the ball on 1st down 60% of the time! On 2nd down, the run percentage drops to 53%. And finally, on 3rd down the Steelers ran the ball a mere 24% of the time. In other words, we usually run the ball on 1st down, pass on 3rd, and it’s a toss up on 2nd. If Arians wants to mix something up, perhaps this is where he should start!
In conclusion, I tend to agree with “blitzburgh”. We have to remember that this season, this offense was a work in progress - AND IT STILL LOOKED PRETTY DARN GOOD! Arians collaborated with Ben on everything from the new playbook’s terminology to the plays they were to run that week. They’re both learning a lot. Arians should stay on at least another year. Let’s see what he’s learned about this football team in 2007 and what adjustments he has in store for 2008 before bringing the hammer down.
January 9th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
i agree. arians needs to stay there and keep learning/growing w/the offense. hes no different than the players, everybody learns as time goes by. he will come back better next season. what i dont understand is how that 20 something year old offensive coordinator in new england seems to never call a bad play. how is that? somebody please educate me. whoever beats the pats im rooting for!
January 9th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Let’s cease with complaints which regard Bruce Arians folks. Why isn’t anyone asking that we obtain new coaches for our offensive line and special teams? The ball is in your court Mr. Tomlin; NOW ACT ON IT!
January 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I want an excellent, proven coordinator, not wait another season to see if this one “develops.”
January 9th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I have been following the Steelers since 1955,originally from Pittsburgh currently living in Las Vegas. My question is why a quarter back sweep on third and six? We needed to get a first down to run the clock out, why not a short down and out to Ward or Miller get the 1st down run the clock out game over. Could someone answer that for me?
January 9th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
CAM CAMRON ANYONE?
January 9th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
3 holds on that draw play visible from all over the field.Troy got held,Harrison got held,Casey got held and tackled,Farrior got clotheslined,Foote got his jersey yanked out of his pants after Gerrad got the first down.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:52 am
I agree with #4 & #5
January 10th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Let the blame game begin! You know the one thing i hate about fans is the armchair QB mentality, the second guessing isolated events in a game of many plays. I personally think the Fans have no reason to be mad about this game. I mean really lets face the facts… the 2 point conversion Tomlin went for was good to Hines Ward, Only a rather questionable Holding call on the center is what took it back! maybe we can now say go for 1, but the steelers had the big Mo! I like tomlins style, Cowher used to Chap my hide when he went all conservative, Example…? Barry Foster on 4th down in the championship game with san diego! Barry Foster… ya the guy who was a Bulldozer that year and of course Thigpen and eric green etc….! That to me was an example of a terrible series of calls! for us to sit back and say with 12 minutes left in a game were Ben Had 3 TDs is rediculous! Let his guys play is what tomlin does, and I think you will see this team go further ahead in the coming seasons! So stop your whining, The steelers were in now way posed to go far in the playoffs anyhow with all the injuries etc… But i think the Jags will. So with Tradition, I always Support the team that put my guys out of contention. SO go Jags and good luck sending NE back to the locker!
January 10th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
He is better then Kevin Gilbride……that guy was the worst Steeler OC ever.
January 10th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Ouch… Gilbride. I’m still trying to forget that experiment, woody! Don’t do me like that! It’s a moot point to think Tomlin will get rid of Arians, anyway, and I for one am glad he’s staying.
Bluke makes a terrific point about the Pats OC being so young and yet always right. I never thought about that myself. Perhaps he’s “learned” a lot from his head coach
January 10th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
since they are comming back , Arins , Dick L I hope they learned somethings , For Bruce , when the heck are you going to put the ball in the Air like the Pats do , Ben can throw as good as he can , I think next season Ben will be even better , bull shit running all the time on 1st down , also his play calling in the play off game sucked a few times , we will all hold are breath.
January 11th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Arians will not improve, and he has no idea what to do with his players. Nuff said…no offense…fire him like a big boy Mike T.
January 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
What about blaming Ben for 2 lousy interceptions…on a busted play to Davenport and on a critical 3rd down middle screen with the offense in scoring territory? What about Ben failing to throw the ball away…is he too concerned about personal completion percentage? I love Ben, but he’s not without fault. His key mistakes cost the team the game. However, without him, they would have never had a chance.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
#13 Big Ben did not cost the game. Jacksonville killed us all year long on 3rd and obviously 4th down (4th and 2 and he gets 32yds.). The Steelers D ended the second half of the season on a bad note and carried on to the playoffs. I do agree with #4, 3rd and 6 and they call a QB sweep. We have one of the best TE in the game and that was the down to prove it. (Too conservative) if they convert that down we go into NE and whoop them!