Film Room: Randy Fichtner Giving Steelers’ Red Zone Offense The Boost It Needs

[polamalubeast]

The biggest change under Randy Fichtner has clearly been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ red zone offense. I’ll have to double-check the numbers when they update but after a 3 for 4 showing this weekend, they’re closing in on having the league’s top red zone offense. It’s a ridiculous improvement from anything Todd Haley did or anything that’s gone done with Mike Tomlin the head coach.

Only once under Tomlin have the Steelers finished in the top ten in red zone offense. You have to go all the way back to 2007 for that when they finished 7th, still under 60%. Since then, they’ve been no better than 12th and last year, tumbled down to 18th.

Entering Sunday, theyranked second at 75% and matched that seasonal performance against Baltimore. Much of the credit has to go to the players. Without them executing, it doesn’t matter if Bill Walsh is calling the shots. They won’t work.

Still, it’s hard to look at all this history and just assume the switch has been flipped. The Steelers had mostly the same dudes last year: Ben, AB, and James Conner isn’t making anyone miss he who shall not be named. So Fichtner has to be of some significant difference, right?

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[86WARD]

I don’t know...their third down conversions have been pretty good as of late...

[BlackAndGold]

I started to question Fictner during the slow start but I like what I've been seeing.

[polamalubeast]

I started to question Fictner during the slow start but I like what I've been seeing.

His next challenge is going to be how he'll be able to maximize Conner and Bell together if Bell returns.

But yes, we can say that Fitchner is better than Haley, since Haley lost his job in Cleveland last week!

[GBMelBlount]

His next challenge is going to be how he'll be able to maximize Conner and Bell together if Bell returns.

But yes, we can say that Fitchner is better than Haley, since Haley lost his job in Cleveland last week!

EXACTLY.

[Shoes]

His next challenge is going to be how he'll be able to maximize Conner and Bell together if Bell returns.

But yes, we can say that Fitchner is better than Haley, since Haley lost his job in Cleveland last week!Everyone gets fired in Cleveland and what does that say about the Steeler FO since they kept Haley for 5 years and dead beat players as well? But I do like Fitch better than Haley. :chuckle:

[GoSlash27]

Everyone gets fired in Cleveland and what does that say about the Steeler FO since they kept Haley for 5 years and dead beat players as well? But I do like Fitch better than Haley. :chuckle:
We went 53-28 and had a helluva offense. I won't knock Haley for that. I'll happily concede that he's a toolbox, but he wasn't a bad OC. That mess in Cleveland says more about Cleveland than anything else.

[Hawkman]

We went 53-28 and had a helluva offense. I won't knock Haley for that. I'll happily concede that he's a toolbox, but he wasn't a bad OC. That mess in Cleveland says more about Cleveland than anything else.

........ and despite how Ben feels about Haley, I think he helped extend Ben’s career a year or two.

[polamalubeast]

........ and despite how Ben feels about Haley, I think he helped extend Ben’s career a year or two.

I give credit to Haley (and Munchak) for that, but for his playcalling, it was so frustrating sometimes, especially plays that can kill a drive.

It helps that most of the time as an OC in his career, he had a HOF (or future HOF) at the QB position (Warner and Roethlisberger) and WR (Fitzgerald and Antonio Brown).

[Shoes]

We went 53-28 and had a helluva offense. I won't knock Haley for that. I'll happily concede that he's a toolbox, but he wasn't a bad OC. That mess in Cleveland says more about Cleveland than anything else.

Well he had an offense that was said to be the best in the NFL, an offense that most said should have put up 30-40 points a game, like KC is doing right now. So why do you think Haley was fired?




........ and despite how Ben feels about Haley, I think he helped extend Ben’s career a year or two.

Haley had marching orders from AR2 to keep Ben upright from day one, but I'll give him some credit for making that happen.

So Haley had the best offense/players in the NFL and kept Ben upright 5 years, why do you think he was fired?

[polamalubeast]

I always liked Bruce Arians more and I rarely criticized unlike many when he was our OC...I would have liked to see Arians with our o-line since 2014 under Munchak.

Yes, the sacks were down in 2012 in Haley's first year, but the dink and dunk was sad to watch, since we were almost always in 3rd down and long and the steelers had very few big play...Fortunately Roethlisberger was great in 3rd down and long before his injury, otherwise the steelers would have been a 5-11 team in 2012 with a bottom 5 offense.

[polamalubeast]

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[Istina]

Well he had an offense that was said to be the best in the NFL, an offense that most said should have put up 30-40 points a game, like KC is doing right now. So why do you think Haley was fired?





Haley had marching orders from AR2 to keep Ben upright from day one, but I'll give him some credit for making that happen.

So Haley had the best offense/players in the NFL and kept Ben upright 5 years, why do you think he was fired?


Someone had to be the scape goat for last year and they clearly weren't going to blame Butler and the defense that was a sieve, so Haley became the "we have to do something" scape goat. I believe Haley will get hired again to run an offense somewhere in the NFL.

[86WARD]

I don’t know...their third down conversions have been pretty good as of late...

Last 4 games - Leads league in 3rd down conversion 60%.

[polamalubeast]

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[86WARD]

Given the two...I’d take Haley and his non QB sneaking Chuck the ball deep on third and short over Arians and his bubble screen trash.

[Hawkman]

Given the two...I’d take Haley and his non QB sneaking Chuck the ball deep on third and short over Arians and his bubble screen trash.

As would I, and I couldn’t stand it when he said, “we don’t use fullbacks in my offense”. Kreider was one of the best in the business.

[43Hitman]

As would I, and I couldn’t stand it when he said, “we don’t use fullbacks in my offense”. Kreider was one of the best in the business.

Ahem. Not better than :director:-JOHN KUHN!! ​ :chuckle: