Whenever a team has success running the no-huddle offense, you can bet it's only a matter of time before fans start wondering why they don't do it all the time.
Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has heard the questions, and he has a simple answer: It wouldn't work all the time, because the Steelers are better off using multiple personnel packages.
Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has written a piece examining why the Steelers only go no-huddle in certain situations, and it all comes down to Arians' belief that multiple personnel packages are necessary.
"It limits you way too much," Arians said. "It limits what you can do offensively. You take away a lot of your play-action game and things you can do with a game plan. You basically don't have a game plan. If you go no-huddle [all the time], shoot, I can take every night off.
"It's a tool you use to change the tempo of the game, but you're limited in your personnel. It's not something we want to do wholesale every game."
Still, the Steelers are expected to go no-huddle in certain situations on Monday night in Denver, in large part because the Ravens ran it so effectively last week against the Broncos: Baltimore went no-huddle 31 times in a 30-7 win over the Broncos.
So yes, the Steelers will go no-huddle at times. Just don't expect Arians to do it all the time.
Steelers like no huddle in small doses
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 7, 2009 2:33 PM ET
Permalink
3 Comments 
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Pittsburgh Steelers, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Pittsburgh Steelers, Top Stories
Wow, an OC that developes a game plan & sticks with it. What a concept.
"It limits you way too much," Arians said. "It limits what you can do offensively. You take away a lot of your play-action game and things you can do with a game plan. You basically don't have a game plan. If you go no-huddle [all the time], shoot, I can take every night off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So in the days when QBs called their own plays there was no coaching or game planning going on?
I think a kick return, some timely offsides pentalties, a few missed opportunities, and a couple big time plays by Joe Flacco had more to do with beating Denver than the no-huddle. Besides, at a mile high, Pittsburgh might need the extra 15 - 20 seconds here and there that they can get.
...never mind the fallacy that the no-huddle was a great success. Take out 7 points on a kick return, and a fumble already in field goal range, and the Ravens hung a whopping 20 on the Broncos-- 7 of which were scored after the outcome was already determined. The 3.6 (125 yards rushing) yards per carry and 167 (gross) yards passing yards Baltimore managed adds up to a very mediocre offensive day. Throw in the 10 negative plays Denver managed (8 stuffs), and I'm not sure anybody but the never-played-a-down pundits saw the no-huddle attack as a game plan altering development.
Just saying...