OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Kansas City Swifts vs Philly Eagles

[Peat]

Dulac: Arthur Smith Stopped Letting Russell Wilson Change Plays, Creating Friction Between Two

Since the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended, multiple reports have painted a rocky relationship between offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterback Russell Wilson. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac offered detail over what those issues were. Per Dulac, the issues stem from Smith...

steelersdepot.com

 

[xlm34]

Dulac: Arthur Smith Stopped Letting Russell Wilson Change Plays, Creating Friction Between Two

Since the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended, multiple reports have painted a rocky relationship between offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterback Russell Wilson. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac offered detail over what those issues were. Per Dulac, the issues stem from Smith...

steelersdepot.com

There are so many concerning things in that article. A lot of coaches don’t let their QBs audible but you need to give some freedom to make adjustments.

I also hate the feeling I’m getting that Wilson is plan A.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Dulac: Arthur Smith Stopped Letting Russell Wilson Change Plays, Creating Friction Between Two

Since the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended, multiple reports have painted a rocky relationship between offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterback Russell Wilson. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac offered detail over what those issues were. Per Dulac, the issues stem from Smith...

steelersdepot.com

Apparently Smith (Tomlin) ordered Wilson to never change plays at the line of scrimmage.

Color me surprised.

 

[Peat]

There are so many concerning things in that article. A lot of coaches don’t let their QBs audible but you need to give some freedom to make adjustments.

I also hate the feeling I’m getting that Wilson is plan A.

My gut is there's no plan A because there's no agreement in the building on which guy to go for and if there's any consensus, it's probably for the cheapest one.

 

[pistolpete11]

I'd be curious if Smith let other QB's make changes at the line, because that sounds reeeeeeeal familiar.

Anyway, letting the QB make changes at the line is a non-negotiable for me. You MUST let them, especially when they are a 13 year, Super Bowl winning vet. Maybe they get it wrong sometimes, but calling a play in the huddle is just a guess with limited information.

 

[xlm34]

I wish there was more info on how often teams let their QBs audible to a completely different play. I know there’s been talk about Shanahan and Lafleur not really giving a ton of flexible to QBs so I don’t think it’s really uncommon. I found this QB school video:



TLDW is basically that having complete control to change plays whenever you want is rare. So if Smith was telling Wilson that you can’t have that type of control, that’s pretty normal to me. If it’s more constrictive than that, it would be a problem.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

There are so many concerning things in that article. A lot of coaches don’t let their QBs audible but you need to give some freedom to make adjustments.

I also hate the feeling I’m getting that Wilson is plan A.

It got worse each week with RW. Teams would show late adjustments and then RW would try to adjust the play not everyone got it because it would be a 10 second rush. The more tape RW put out yhe worse it got. The Eagles Ravens abd Bengals game were rough

I'd be curious if Smith let other QB's make changes at the line, because that sounds reeeeeeeal familiar.

Anyway, letting the QB make changes at the line is a non-negotiable for me. You MUST let them, especially when they are a 13 year, Super Bowl winning vet. Maybe they get it wrong sometimes, but calling a play in the huddle is just a guess with limited information.

He was still changing plays in the playoffs just dialed it back a ton

 

[Peat]

I wish there was more info on how often teams let their QBs audible to a completely different play. I know there’s been talk about Shanahan and Lafleur not really giving a ton of flexible to QBs so I don’t think it’s really uncommon. I found this QB school video:



TLDW is basically that having complete control to change plays whenever you want is rare. So if Smith was telling Wilson that you can’t have that type of control, that’s pretty normal to me. If it’s more constrictive than that, it would be a problem.

The thing is though that this isn't solely about whether they let the QB change the calls and if so when and how -

But about a pattern of inadequate strategy.

Shanahan and Lafleur don't need to give their QBs a bunch of options and flexibility because when they say "trust me, this call will work" they're right most of the time. Smith, and most Steelers OCs before him, aren't. If Smith wants to make this change (if he did) and it make things better, then right on. But they went from shredding the Bengals to getting stonewalled by them and the more run heavy approach that this is part of is definitely part of why.

In many ways, the most important part of the story isn't whether it's true, it's the fact that the offence was so inadequate that it sounds true.

 

[lastcupever75]

Didn't we hear the same type of thing with pickett? pickett and canada? even Ben and canada ?
now smith and russ
the names change but direction from the guy in charge stays the same.

this is beyond pathetic.
how do some people still defend the head coach of this team

 

[bigdaddyk88]

The thing is though that this isn't solely about whether they let the QB change the calls and if so when and how -

But about a pattern of inadequate strategy.

Shanahan and Lafleur don't need to give their QBs a bunch of options and flexibility because when they say "trust me, this call will work" they're right most of the time. Smith, and most Steelers OCs before him, aren't. If Smith wants to make this change (if he did) and it make things better, then right on. But they went from shredding the Bengals to getting stonewalled by them and the more run heavy approach that this is part of is definitely part of why.

In many ways, the most important part of the story isn't whether it's true, it's the fact that the offence was so inadequate that it sounds true.

the bengals played the same defense and left the mof open because RW ignored it.

 

[Shockmaster]

Apparently Smith (Tomlin) ordered Wilson to never change plays at the line of scrimmage.

Color me surprised.

Because they gotta play STILLER FOOTBALL! Can't be winning games 44-38! Gotta lose them while only scoring in the teens! That's the STILLER WAY!

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

They were 100% running into stacked boxes less and were more heavily using play action when Russ first returned from injury. It is believable that something changed because the offense went from rolling to the same shit we have been seeing for years seemingly instantly.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Because they gotta play STILLER FOOTBALL! Can't be winning games 44-38! Gotta lose them while only scoring in the teens! That's the STILLER WAY!

They stopped with the motions because on the road its harder for everyone to be on the same page with constant audibles. RW is trying to save face because he wants a starting job next season

They were 100% running into stacked boxes less and were more heavily using play action when Russ first returned from injury. It is believable that something changed because the offense went from rolling to the same shit we have been seeing for years seemingly instantly.

They started playing play off teams who took the deep ball away from RW. Teams would change post snap and confuse RW the ravens talked about on hard knocks

 

[Peat]

They stopped with the motions because on the road its harder for everyone to be on the same page with constant audibles. RW is trying to save face because he wants a starting job next season

If we take Dulac at face value, this report can't be just Wilson because it came from several sources.

If we are more cynical, Dulac is the Steelers' mouthpiece and probably isn't doing PR for players that the team doesn't want out there.

And whatever way we spin Dulac's report or Wilson's performance, the idea that the team looked at Wilson's early performances and thought "we have to run it more, lets remove the QB's ability to get away from that" is indefensible given how they ran if this is true.