Sometimes it’s hard to admit things when the evidence is somewhat disputable. Over time however, when the evidence builds, it becomes easier to finally come to grips with reality.
Jerricho Cotchery left the Pittsburgh Steelers today and joined the Carolina Panthers. You can argue that his contract was worth significantly more than what the Steelers could have offered but I have another theory.
It is no longer difficult to admit that Todd Haley is an issue in Pittsburgh. Charlie Batch suggested as much last year that Haley was a big reason why players wanted out of the Steel City and I believe Cotchery’s departure is a significant piece of evidence that furthers his suggestion.
Cotchery’s deal is reportedly worth $5 million over two years. If that was more money than the Steelers were offering then so be it. But I find it odd a guy catches ten touchdown passes from a top of the line quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger and then wants out. Cotchery was clearly going to play more this season with Emmanuel Sanders gone and the only thing left on the roster being Derek Moye, Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown.
So, why leave?
I was not a fan of the Todd Haley hire and I’m still not. I can however give credit where it is due and I do give Haley credit for allowing Roethlisberger to run more of the no-huddle offense and for getting the offense clicking by mid-season. That said, I still have issues with many aspects of Haley as an offensive coordinator.
The Haley Effect as I call it has not just been about players, but about fellow offensive coaches as well. Scottie Montgomery left his receivers’ coach position for essentially the same role at Duke. Offensive line coach Sean Kugler left to become the head coach at UTEP and then this postseason Kirby Wilson made a lateral move to coach running backs in Minnesota.
Who makes a lateral move in the NFL? Oh and don’t forget Jack Bicknell, Jr was sent packing after just one year as the offensive line coach too.
I find a couple of moves to be common but this many to me reeks of smoke from a fire. Roethlisberger will and has said he has a good working relationship with Haley and I believe him. I think Ben Roethlisberger is smart enough to know that it does him no good to say anything otherwise so he is making the best of the situation.
Haley has rubbed people wrong in Arizona, Kansas City and seemingly now in Pittsburgh. In my opinion there is no longer any way we can deny there have been issues because the evidence is mounting.
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard Mondays on Trib-Live Radio at 730pm ET talking Steelers and is a blogger for ESPN 970 in Pittsburgh.
6 comments
The Haley effect is due to one man: ART II. Go ask any sports reporter from Ron Cook to Joe Starkey to Mark Madden. Every single one of those guys will tell you ART II is the reason Haley is here. In Art’s mind he felt Haley was the guy to instill “discipline” to Ben. Tomlin did not want Arians gone and that is fact but what was tomlin supposed to do? Ben liked Arians, they were good friends and that is also a very true fact. Sure Haley was a hothead where ever he went. But I only remember his hot headedness showing in one place: Arizona. There was game where I’m sure you should remember in which Haley and Boldin got into each other faces. It was all over the sports shows. Yes the No-Huddle is working but that’s because it’s what Ben wants. He wanted to run No-Huddle from the start of the season. Would it have made a difference if they went to from the get-go of the season? I don’t know and I doubt anybody could know. The Steelers best player is Ben no doubt 100% truth and fact. For this team to get back to it’s winning let Ben be Ben. In other words give Ben control of the offense. Let the offense become the No Huddle Offense and they will show the rest of league that “We can be Lethal and Potent on Offense”. Now if some people have a problem with what I have just said or how I said by all means reply and tell me otherwise.
I think Cotchery left because his Wife is from NC and that’s where he went to school. JUst because he had 10 TD last year doesn’t mean he’d have 10 this year. I’ve always have been a fan of Cotchery an feel the Steelers wasted his talents until last year, he was always that guy. He also didn’t re-sign because Wheaton will start and the Steelers will draft a WR in this draft.
This year will forces Ben to hit the open receiver instead of pre determining where he’s going to go with the football. Example: Forcing the throw to Sanders when Brown was wide open and uncovered vs The Ravens. I have said it’s time for Ben to Evolve as a QB ( not sandlot ball) and now he has no choice. I look forward to the draft.
I agree that Haley is ART pick but in all honesty they needed a change from Bruce Arians.
Your dreaming if you think that this will be the year that Ben will be forced to hit the open guy. Ben’s strength is his ability to extend plays. Troy Polamalu once said this: He’s not like a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning and we don’t ask him to be that, he is who he is and we accept that. Cotchery’s wife had nothing to do with his decision. When he was brought in it was considered to be an insurance policy for Ben. A WR who didn’t have an ego or act like a jerk. Cotchery had his career year for this reason: Sanders kept dropping the ball. Nobody said that he would duplicate what he did in 2013. I never said that, none of the sports writers and personalities said that so why would you say that? Arians was a good OC and you can’t question his success. From 07-11 they made playoffs 4 times, 5 division titles, 2 AFC title wins and a Superbowl as well. Haley has been here 2 years and no playoffs. In arians last season they won 10 games and not to mention the Defense was considered old and slow but they got the team to the playoffs. ART II wants to prove that the old school way of Football can still succeed in the NFL. It doesn’t work anymore. Sure SF and Seattle are run first teams but there QB’s are more or less protected early in there careers. It’s a pass first league and you have to give your QB the weapons he needs to succeed. That means don’t wait for a WR you like to be there in the mid rounds and then pick him, no you have to get 1 or 2 early in the draft. The best offenses have at least 1 WR that came between rounds 1 and 2. The Steelers have to see that the guys you have now are good but who is that guy that you call: A Playmaker, A Homerun Hitter, A guy who will go and make that big catch when it is necessary to make one. AB is a very good WR but his skills are for those 10-1r yard plays per catch. The Steelers WR core is depleted and I’m supposed to believe in guys like Moye, Wheaton, and even Kasiff Moore. How is that fair to Ben?
steel dad, i think your aiming your ire at the wrong person. as i have commented in the past, the problem is that accident of birth, the sally boy, art 2. of course anyone in the burgh who makes aliving covering the steelers won’t touch this because of access. vittorio sounds like an extremely well informed person. i’d like to get his thoughts on the accident of birth that runs the steelers.
I’ve aimed my vitriol at ARII in past articles. In my opinion, this is the make or break year not only for Todd Haley, but possibly Mike Tomlin and certainly for ARII. There are three sides to the ARII debate as I see it currently. Those who believe he will get the job done, those who believe he is clueless and those who fall somewhere in the middle and need more time to come to a conclusion. I have zero problem with any of those stances as of today.I believe too many fans rely on the three-year drought of the Steelers under Cowher. The NFL is already a different animal than it was then. Teams turn things around much quicker and patience is no longer a virtue.
At this time I’m not convinced Haley is doing his job right. I lived through that 3 year drought by Cowher but at that time I wasn’t as good at knowledge of football then as to what it is now. steeldad is right in that today’s NFL is a different animal now as to what it was before. ART is the reason Arians is gone and Haley is here. I mentioned 3 very prominent sports writers/radio talk show hosts that will tell you the same thing. Although they’ll each explain it differently it will all come back to what I said before. ART II needs to stay out of things that he is not good at. Dan was a smart man when he was in charge. He let Colbert and the Coaches do what they do best and look at the results. If they were times were things weren’t going right a few minor changes were made and they got back on track. ART II just did not like the fact that Ben and Arians had become good friends. Give Ben the help he needs at WR and let the offense win the game and allow the Defense to play without having to be asked to save the day.