I agree. Haley took a lot of **** early on and I think over time he's really worked well with Ben and ultimately the two of them have just begun to unleash Roethlisberger's talent.
Ben can call his own plays at the line. I'm pretty sure Haley's got something going with Ben like Peyton had, three plays lined up and the QB audibles to the best one at the time based on what he sees in the defensive formation. But that's huge. That gives Ben and the offense a ton of flexibility and still constrains things a bit so they have a construct to work within and manage everything and stay organized.
Course that makes the QB look like a golden God, seemingly calling his own plays at the line and marching the team down the field in the no-huddle while the OC stands there looking useless. However, quietly, he's feeding three play suggestions into the headset that the QB can choose from every now and then and keeping things moving along.
No, I rather like Haley. I think he's done just enough with the disciplining of Ben and turning him in to a "pocket QB" and just enough "turning him loose" that we're seeing one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. I mean really, you watch him in the games and he's pretty impressive. The toughness, the long balls, the determination... but then you look at his stats and you're astounded. You can't believe how good he really is. He just sort of quietly amasses these not only H.O.F. numbers but bonafide All-Time Great numbers and it's done right before your eyes.
Every time he throws one of those 20+ yard balls while Peyton or T*m or Brees tosses a 6 yarder, Ben is pushing his legacy farther. Ya, Br*dy has gaudy stats that are utterly bullshit because he's cheated his entire career and everyone and their ******* dog knows it. Peyton is the greatest cerebral QB to ever play the game and truly his stats are amazing, but ultimately, it's a testament to Ben that he compares right up there with Peyton and he's played for far less than him. Rodgers is also a stud, I can't take anything away from him, but he doesn't have the numbers Ben does yet. He had to wait behind Favre for awhile and in time I'm sure he'll also have a strong career but when you look at the flat out dominance of Ben's numbers across the board there's simply no comparison. Yards per attempt, yards per completion, total yards, completion percentage, QB rating over his career, The guy is a complete stud.
Most telling is how our "world class receivers" did while Ben was out. AB, who no doubt is an amazing receiver, was completely invisible while Vick was playing and he wasn't too impressive under Landry's watch either. It was only when Ben came back that Brown once again flourished into his usual uber-dangerous self. It's true, Ben can run hot and cold. He does have his off weeks, particularly after injury. However, the truth is, this offense is NOT high powered without Ben Roethlisberger. It's utterly pedestrian. And that's being generous.
D'Angelo Williams has been a HUGE pickup. I love the guy. I love Bell too. I am worried that he's been injured twice in 3 years, both of them pretty serious. But I think he's a pretty good back. However, Williams has more than filled in. He's come in and proven to be starter quality. I say you absolutely pick that guy's contract up as he's become a pretty critical piece in the puzzle. Between the very real threat of a run game and the even greater threat of a passing game with Roethlisberger and these receivers, it's undoubtedly a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Unless you're the Rams and you just plan on injuring other team's QBs...
