If Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is
able to return Sunday after missing three games with shoulder and rib
injuries, he will see an offense that looks a bit different. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley explained
in a phone conversation that the unit is still evolving in his first
season teaching his system to the players. Some of the changes include
the following: » One-time backup Jonathan Dwyer has
been cast into a starting role -- at first because of injuries, but now
seemingly on merit -- and is being pushed to take the mentality that he
is a "workhorse" who doesn't need to be spelled. » A tweaked game plan not only allowed 37-year-old quarterback Charlie Batch to win against Baltimorebut
also got some of the receivers to figure things out, after they
originally struggled adjusting to life without Roethlisberger. Coach Mike Tomlin's threat of pulling starting jobs didn't hurt, either. »
That game plan also helped limit the effects of some shortcomings of an
offensive line that's been shifted again and again because of injuries. » The benching of tailback Rashard Mendenhall and
the potential to do so with other players "was to get guys mentally in
the right place for the final month of the season. Right now, it looks
like genius," Haley said. However,
Mendenhall, who is coming off major knee surgery and an Achilles
injury, is expected back at some point, and Haley said the improving
Dwyer needs to show that he wants to be The Guy. Dwyer started against
the Ravens, and Mendenhall was a healthy scratch after he fumbled twice in a 20-14 loss to Cleveland on Nov. 25. Haley said the message being conveyed to Dwyer is, "Don't let us change you out." Haley
also explained how Batch, the longtime backup, made such a radical
change, going from a three-interception, zero-touchdown, 38.7-passer
rating performance in the loss to Cleveland to throwing for 276 yards,
with one touchdown and one interception, against the Ravens. "Two big factors," Haley said. "Charlie had another week of practice and (receiver)Antonio Brown was
back (from an ankle injury). He was not 100 percent, but he makes a
difference. The biggest thing for me was getting to know what Charlie
likes and play to those strengths. That's something I pride myself on,
and I felt so bad the week before, because it was such a short time. You
want Ben in there, but as a coach with a backup, you still have to be
successful." Haley said he spent so much time getting Roethlisberger reps in his new scheme that Batch was limited. When
Batch stepped into the enhanced role before the Cleveland loss, there
also was a disconnect between the receivers and Batch because he didn't
get the ball to them like Roethlisberger did. As a result, some of the
bad habits that Roethlisberger was good enough to compensate for
manifested themselves when Batch stepped in. Haley
was not specific but suggested there was a lack of attention to detail
with regard to route running and focus. Haley declined to specify if
that was why Wallace was threatened with a demotion, though drawing that
conclusion makes sense. To
ease Baltimore's pass rush, Haley said the plan was to use the screen
pass and short passing game. It worked, so that for much of the second
half, Haley said, theRavens weren't
rushing up field but instead were chasing receivers horizontally. Batch
was sacked twice, but he completed 25 of 36 passes. When the Steelers got the Ravensto change from rushing up the field, that opened up throws downfield, especially to tight end Heath Miller, who had five catches for 97 yards. "We didn't allow them to get cranked up," Haley said of the Ravens' defense. The strategy also helped protect right tackle Kelvin Beachum, a rookie right tackle making his first start, Haley said. If Batch and/or Beachum have to startagainst the San Diego Chargers, similar concepts should be expected. Scheme
aside, Haley dished most of the credit for what happened offensively
against Baltimore to Batch, whose focus all week before the Ravens game got players to ratchet up their effort during practice and really stay dialed in during the game. "From
his vantage point, he didn't know if he'd ever get the chance to start
again -- and he might not," Haley said, who added that Batch also was
spurred by criticism for his performance against the Browns.
"He seriously practiced and played like every snap could be his last.
You want all your guys to be that way, but seeing where he is in his
career, he's actually living it."
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