Several seasons ago an article was posted on the Post-Gazette talking about how Ben Roethlisburger would gain full reigns on the play calling during
no huddle offenses. This was around the time Bruce "Airhead" Arians was taking over as offensive coordinator once Ken Whisenhunt had
departed.
This is a long thorough comparison of the offense Arians runs vs the No Huddle from which Ben Roethlisburger calls the plays.
1st Quarter drives:
-After starting off the drive with a 5 yard screen pass, Willie Parker loses 3 yards on a 2nd and 5 run. Not a bad play call, just not good
results. We go incomplete on 3rd and 8.
-In the second drive, two passing plays leads to Bruce Arian's first 1st down of the game. Then on a 1st and 10 again Willie Parker goes
nowhere, and this drive ends with the sack on 3rd down.
At this point, Willie Parker has rushed for a total of -4 yards on two offensive drives. Whie the passing game has already produced 22 yards
and a 1st down. This makes the next two drives even MORE idiotic in terms of play calling.
-On the VERY NEXT DRIVE, Bruce Arians calls Rashard Mendehnall running up the center on 1st and 10. He gets stopped for a yard gain. But
Arians decides to try it again, this time on 2nd and long. What happens? Mendenhall gets stopped again for 2 yards. Another 3 and out
with the defense adjusting to the most obvious run-run-pass formula somehow seeded by the genius of Bruce Arians.
-Next drive, more evidence. This time he uses Willie Parker to run the ball up the middle. He gets stopped on 1st down for a 2 yard gain.
AGAIN. On 2nd and Long. Against a defense that has been stopping the run ALL QUARTER. Bruce Arians decides to hand it to Wilie Parker AGAIN
UP THE MIDDLE. WHAT KIND OF PLAY CALLING IS THIS???? And of course...another predictable pass play at 3rd and long against an
already adjusting defense. And another 3 and out.
End of the first quarter, 2 total yards rushing. And a single 1st down from 4 drives.
-The first drive starts off well, as Ben goes with the passing game for 8 and 10 yard gains to grab two first downs. Then when Parker AGAIN
gets stopped at 1st and 10. What does Bruce Arians do? He hands the ball off, again, against a defense that's been giving up less than a
yard per carry so far, on 2nd and 9. Genius Bruce. Absolutely genius. Didn't you learn any mistakes from THE LAST TWO DRIVES?? And again he
gets stopped, and againt 2 1st downs wasted and another punt.
SO finally, with 2:14 left in the first half, Ben goes to the no huddle. Or as I like to call it, the Arians-free offense.
-Ben opens up 1st and 10 with a missed pass attempt. 2nd and long. Ok. What does Ben do on 2nd and 10? Shotgun spread formation. Passes the
ball. 12 yard completion to Holmes for a 1st down.
On the same drive now...after a short pass to Moore sets up another 2nd and long. What does Ben do? He throws it to Ward for a 29 yard gain.
Another first down to the Tenessee 34 yard line. 1st and 10 again? Shotgun formation. 34 yard TD completion to Holmes.
I'll also mention the second no-huddle drive as well.
-Despite 48 seconds on the clock, ben uses shotgun to produce another 2 1st downs before the last-second hail marry attempt.
End of the 1st half.
Lets look at some stats shall we?
So off of 5 offensive drives on a full half of play, Bruce Arian's play calling results:
-3 1st downs total.
-36 total yards produced
-Offense which never got past their own 44 yard line.
Off TWO offensive drives, lapsed within the final 2:14 left in the game, Ben Roethlisburger calling a no-huddle offense results:
-4 first downs total.
-102 total yards produced
-7 Points after a 79 yard offensive drive.
Okay, so onto the second half....
-Again the first offensive drive of the second half begins with signature Bruce Arians. He hands the ball off to Willie Parker (whose
still averaging less than a yard per carry), THREE STRAIGHT TIMES. Another 3 and out, another punt.
-Second drive of the 3rd quarter. After an INC on first down, Bruce Arians uses his offensive genius to hand the ball off AGAIN TO WILLIE
PARKER ON 2nd and 10. Creates another 3rd and long that we manage to get a 1st down on thanks to a 7 yard completion to Mewelde Moore.
BUT AGAIN, on the very SAME SERIES. Bruce Arians hands the ball off the Willie Parker on 2nd and 7. For a -3 yard result of course. Another
drive wasted, another punt.
-FINAL OFFENSIVE DRIVE COACHED BY BRUCE ARIANS in the game, lets see how it goes. 1st and 10, handoff to Mendenhall for meager gains. 2nd and long? Guess what he does. Again hands off to Mendenhall for meager gains. 3 and out.
Three offensive drives, 1 first down. 20 total offensive yards produced. The closest the offense got was Tennesee's 43 yard line.
Now lets look at the drives from no huddle
-First long offensive drive is Bruce-Arians call free. No running the ball on 2nd and 10. 5 first downs, 56 yards, resulting in a field gowl
down at the Tennessee 14 yard line.
-The final drive of the game which leads in Hines Ward's fumble produced another 2 first downs and 52 yards of offense.
-Drive in overtime is also essentially no huddle. Throughout this drive, there are three 2nd and long situations encountered. Not once
does Ben elect to go to the run. This is also how u know Arians is no longer coaching the game. 5 first downs, 63 total offensive yards
produced, and the game winning field goal.
Final tallys, Bruce Arians' Offense vs Ben and the No Huddle Offense:
Bruce Arians:
-8 offensive drives
-4 total 1st downs
-99 total offensive yards
-0 points
No Huddle:
-5 offensive drives, 4 of which were under time constraints.
-16 1st downs
-273 total offensive yards
-13 points and the game[/b]
Bruce Arians did nothing to contribute to this offense. In fact, the evidence shown here and over the past couple seasons, shows he's been a
down right burden. He came into an offense which was already established and engineered over several seasons, and tried to put his
own signature on it. Essentially, a kid driving his dad's Ferrari.
The evidence is really as clear as daylight. And I hope more of my fellow Steeler fans can look beyond our team's recent success and
realize there is still some serious flaws with the way this team is coached on offense.