DePaoli: Todd Haley should get to the bye week to get this offense on track or be showed the door by Tomlin

HALEY ON THE HOT SEAT?

Todd Haley needs to be on alert and he’s probably sensing it from Mike Tomlin. You could see Tomlin showing a ton of frustration towards Haley throughout the game on the sideline and for good reason.

You could also sense it from Tomlin post-game comments. “We didn’t execute. They did. They had a nice plan. Our plan could’ve been better under the circumstances,” Tomlin said when asked about the offense.

Haley’s not putting the Steelers offense in the best position to succeed and that’s been the primary issue since day 1.

If Haley hasn’t figured it out yet, he’s probably not going to figure it out, and that’s what should be worrisome. Haley should have lost his play calling duties for the game when he featured Larod Stephens-Howling with five straight plays in the second half.

This screen and sideline pass offense that Haley implements is never going to get it done. Tomlin has to know it, he probably just can’t do anything about it.

Haley was pushed on Tomlin by Art Rooney II who was set on hiring Haley from day 1 when he forced Tomlin to fire Bruce Arians. Tomlin wanted Jim Caldwell and Steelers sources said at the time Tomlin was also very high on Hue Jackson but the organization push was for Haley whose dad was the Steelers Director of Player Personnel from 1971–1990.

They felt he was the right guy to get tougher with Ben Roethlisberger. All the Steelers are doing is wasting years of Ben’s prime with an offense that doesn’t utilize Roethlisberger’s strengths the right way.

The Steelers pay Tomlin $6 million per season, making him one of the NFL’s highest paid coaches. He should have all of the authority to make an offensive coordinator change were he deem one necessary but he probably doesn’t.

Here’s what needs to happen. Tomlin gives Haley to the bye week to show significant progress in all areas of this offense or be showed the door. An offensive coordinator change did wonders for the Baltimore Ravens last year who went on to win the Super Bowl. It could save the Steelers offense.