Madden Column: Time to modernize Steeler's offense
When Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians appeared on my radio show to espouse the virtues of his new offense, his plans actually seemed believable.
A tight end lining up at fullback? Believable.
Spreading out the defense to give Willie Parker more gaps to work with? Believable.
A base formation that uses two receivers, two tight ends and one back? Believable.
The tight end position totaling 90 catches? Believable.
The talents of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger being maximized? Believable.
Being less predictable? Believable.
Yes, Arians' blueprint seemed believable. Not because Arians is an offensive genius.
But because Bill Cowher is no longer around.
Cowher accomplished a lot (although probably not as much as he should have). But, with few exceptions, Cowher was ultraconservative, unconditionally wed to smashmouth football. He pounded the ball vertically even if it meant hammering square pegs into round holes.
Cowher opened things up with Tommy Maddox at quarterback in 2003. The Steelers went 6-10, which made Cowher even more rigid thereafter.
Arians admits he would have had trouble making drastic changes under Cowher. Cowher's departure is thus fortunate, because it's long past time for the Steelers' offense to modernize. To do what other teams have been doing for years.
Arians can (and might) still base his offense primarily on the run. But the offense promises to be much less predictable, something Roethlisberger cited on my show as being a problem.
Being loyal to certain concepts is fine. But you need to use your weapons.
Under Cowher, Heath Miller would have disappeared statistically, just like Mark Bruener, a talented tight end who was coached into mediocrity. Parker would have been used as a power runner, which contradicts his strengths. Santonio Holmes would have been either underused or turned into yet another possession receiver.
It's an indictment of the Steelers offense under Cowher that stiffs like Nate Washington and Cedrick Wilson had better chances to excel than Miller.
Most significantly, Cowher would have never used Roethlisberger properly. The relationship between Cowher and Roethlisberger was strained from day one, and it was never going to get any better. Roethlisberger recently told Sports Illustrated that Cowher treated him like a "young kid," and that it was always going to be that way with Cowher.
What Roethlisberger didn't say is that Cowher spent a long time making sure that he, the head coach, was the biggest star the Steelers had, and wasn't about to cede that to Roethlisberger.
Smashmouth football dilutes individual glory. That might not have been Cowher's main goal philosophically, but he probably considered it a nifty side effect.
Under Mike Tomlin and Arians, Roethlisberger will blossom. Without Cowher, Roethlisberger will blossom.
Considering that, Cowher's departure was an absolute necessity.
Arians isn't reinventing the wheel, or even offensive football. He'll seem like Mouse Davis to the locals, but he's merely making the Steelers catch up to the rest of the NFL.
Roethlisberger is the biggest talent the Steelers have, and easily the team's most important player. Maximizing what he can do is the only way the team can contend for the playoffs in 2007.
The Steelers' veterans would have preferred that Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm had replaced Cowher, something Alan Faneca figures to remind us a couple hundred times during training camp.
But elevating a Cowher assistant would have made keeping the status quo more likely. Not the status quo of 2005's Super Bowl season, but the status quo of 2006's 8-8 campaign.
The Steelers needed change, and not minimal change. The Steelers got one for the thumb despite their ancient approach, not because of it.
Bill Cowher did a lot for the Steelers.
History will someday note that one of the biggest favors Cowher did the franchise was quitting when he did.
Mark Madden hosts a sports talk show 3-7 p.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio 1250.