Following the Steelers' loss on Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys, Ben Roethlisberger publicly questioned offensive coordinator Todd Haley's play calling, and in doing so, Roethlisberger may have pushed the Steelers towards abandoning Haley and his offensive system.
At times, Pittsburgh has looked nothing short of prolific on offense this season. The rest of the time, however, the team has looked lost and out of rhythm. We knew going into the season that Roethlisberger wasn't happy about Bruce Arians' exit from the organization.
Although Roethlisberger has now apologized to Haley and the Rooney Family, his overt criticism raises very real issues that will have to be addressed in the offseason.
The big issue here is that the Steelers have a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback on their roster that seems very unhappy about the direction of the team's offense. Todd Haley was supposed to "fix" the Steelers' offense, sending it back to being a more run-centric unit, but his presence has caused more problems than provided solutions.
Then we have to consider Bruce Arians' portfolio of work since leaving Pittsburgh. As the interim head coach in Indianapolis, he's piloted a young, inexperienced team that just a season ago was devoid of football life into what appears to be a playoff spot.
Making the playoffs in the NFL fixes most team problems, especially on the coaching front. Todd Haley has been put on notice by Roethlisberger, and if the Steelers fail to make the postseason, Haley may be one of the first people out the door in Pittsburgh.
