Maybe too much was made of the fragile new relationship between Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his new offensive coordinator.
Todd Haley hit town amid concerns that he was plotting to de-emphasize Big Ben's gifts in an offense that wound the clock back to focus on the run.
Four games into the season, the Steelers rank No. 10 in passing yards, and their 2-2 record would be less attractive if it weren't for Roethlisberger's 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns through the air. Haley hasn't tightened the reins on his quarterback, but they remain an odd pairing.
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"There's times that he's stubborn and stuck in his ways. There's time that me and other guys are stubborn and stuck in our ways, but you know, we found middle ground," Roethlisberger told NFL Network's Kurt Warner during a segment on "Thursday Night Kickoff" before the Steelers' game against the Tennessee Titans. "And we all have one common goal, and that's to be the best offense we can be.
"And we're not butting heads, him and I, him and other coaches, him and other players," Roethlisberger added. "Everyone's just kind of doing this thing together, because this is our offense. It's not, and ... he'll say that. It's not his offense ... it's our offense. And that's -- that's awesome to hear."
Roethlisberger's early frustrations with Haley's attack boiled down verbiage, according to the quarterback. Words that meant one thing for years under former coordinator Bruce Arians have a completely different meaning under Haley.
On the field, Pittsburgh's ground game has been a dud, but Roethlisberger remains one of the most dangerous passers around when set free to call his own plays. He'll face a Titans defense that has allowed 30 or more points in every game this season. That might go a long way toward bridging the gap between Big Ben and his new OC.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
