Can we talk? Seems like that's a question the Steelers ought to be asking, given some of the communications snafus that have come to light in the last week.
A lot of things went wrong in last Sunday's loss to the Jets, and some of them were rooted in the inability to get signals straight.
The NFL has more systems in place to communicate than the other major sports combined. Referees wear microphones. This year, there's a system that allows the entire officiating crew to communicate electronically.
The quarterback and one defensive player wear helmets equipped with radio receivers so coaches can send information to the field. The sideline is connected to the upstairs coaches booth.
The NFL has now added Microsoft-designed tablets that transmit information. That makes the old system of faxing overhead photos obsolete, and means there can be no repeat of the classic moment when Bill Cowher tried to stuff his photographic evidence in the referee's shirt pocket.
Compare with baseball, where the plate umpire pantomimes lineup changes to the public address booth. In the NBA, referees have to be limber to act out charging calls, and they have to be mathematically adept enough to finger signal the offending player's number to the scorer's table. (They have an especially lively call for traveling, but the NBA hasn't called traveling since the '70s).
The NFL is all about the efficient flow of information. But apparently the Steelers weren't on board with that in at least two instances during the Jets game.
James Harrison wound up in a goal line offensive formation, either to block or catch a pass. It turns out he should have been on the sideline.
Harrison went into the game when it was a play designed to use fullback Will Johnson. So instead of having a player accustomed to handling the ball, they had a 36-year-old linebacker expecting to be thrown his first pass.
What happened? Communication breakdown. The Steelers sent Harrison into the game, then called a play for Johnson, who was on the sideline.
Very late in the game, the Jets were lined up for a clock-killing kneel-down. Safety Mike Mitchell vaulted the line and launched himself at quarterback Michael Vick.
Jets coach Rex Ryan called it "bush league." Mike Tomlin admitted it was "not professional." Apparently Mitchell thought his coach had signed off on the tactic.
Tomlin said Mitchell said something to him, but he wasn't paying attention. Tomlin was apparently in that zone-out mode that parents develop when their kids start yammering about much fun it would be if rabbits could fly, and he responded to Mitchell with something like, "Uh huh...."
Next thing anybody knew, Mitchell was airborne and the Jets were understandably mad. Assuming Mitchell said something like, "Hey, coach, how about if I get a running start, jump up and wipe out this dog hater?" how did Tomlin not notice?
Things get busy on the sideline, but the Steelers have 14 assistant coaches and some of them have assistants of their own. Doesn't somebody notice that the personnel doesn't match the play, or that one of the safeties wants to be a human missile?
Between the coaches' headsets, the radio helmets and the tablets, somehow the proper messages should be delivered.
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--BEHAVING BADLY
Things have been especially nutty at Steelers headquarters this year, for reasons that have nothing to do with the team.
A pattern of media misbehavior led team officials to shut the doors the other day to offer a stern scolding, along with a request to start acting like professionals.
Spies report the first sign of trouble came when a visiting network reporter didn't heed instructions to stay in the media workroom. She set up in the lobby, feet propped up on a table, passing the time making loud calls on her phone. Then she cried when someone yelled at her.
More recently, a territorial dispute between a TV guy and a print/website reporter supposedly got physical, much to the amusement of the players. Then a radio guy was said to have insulted a player and may have threatened him as well.
The message from the team: The multipurpose nature of the Steelers compound doesn't include day care.
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