You Can't Spell 'Bad' Without B (Bruce) A (Arians)

For all you Steelers' fans who, like me, have been scratching their heads for years wondering why the Steelers aren't better offensively and putting up 30 points a game like the Patriots, I think the mystery has finally been solved.  In an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review written by Scott Brown you find the following footnote:

"Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lobbied Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians to go to a no-huddle attack last Sunday (against the Jacksonville Jaguars) after the Steelers offense had bogged down. Roethlisberger said he wanted to switch things up with about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter.  The Steelers quarterback has made no secret that he's a big fan of the no-huddle attack.  'A lot of it is that I'm calling the plays so I can see the defenses' Roethlisberger said.  'When a play is called from the sidelines, it's based off tendencies which, when you have a good coordinator like we do, they know the tendencies pretty well.  I have a feel for who is playing well and and who is doing good things.  It's a rhythm thing."

Tendencies?

Do you think Tom Brady and Bill Belichick worry about what the Jacksonville Jaguars, or any other defense for that matter, tend to do on a 3rd down and seven from their own 40 yard line?  The answer is no and that is why the Patriots can put up 30 points a game and 12 wins a season with a bunch of no names and castoffs. 

What ever happened to dictating the play? 

How's about putting pressure on the defense and making them adjust to you instead of the other way around?

And even if you know teams like to blitz in certain situations, why not call a screen pass or draw to offset the rush?

Let's not forget that Bruce Arians was the offensive coordinator for Peyton Manning in a no-huddle system and managed a Cleveland Browns offense with Kelly Holcomb and a bunch of average skill players that put up 500 total yards against the Steelers in a 2002 playoff game at Heinz Field. 

There can only be two reasons as to why the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tendencies are dictating Bruce Arians' playcalling, Ben Roethlisberger cannot be trusted in a no-huddle system or Mike Tomlin and the Steeler coaching staff don't see the danger in "going vanilla" with their play calling. 

Under Bill Cowher, the Steelers were famously 100-1-1 when leading by 10 points in the second half.  Mike Tomlin, for all of his accomplishments and they are many, has coached Steeler teams that have consistently turned laughers into nail biters such as with the Bengals last year, the Jaguars this year and not to mention almost blowing the biggest lead in Super Bowl history in Super Bowl XLIII, if Ben Roethlisberger hadn't driven the length of the field using a no-huddle offense.

It's time to either turn Ben Roethlisberger loose and bring the no-huddle offense back or find an offensive coordinator who will.  So far, the only the thing standing between B.A. (Bruce Arians) and the label of a "BAD" coordinator is the Steelers D.