Meet the new boss. He's definitely not the same as the old boss.
All apologies to The Who, but this time around the Steelers have an offensive coordinator who plans on being as friendly with Ben Roethlisberger as he can be. The same goes for the rest of the coaching staff.
Randy Fichtner is the anti-Todd Haley in that regard.
Fichtner, who has been with the Steelers as an assistant coach under Bruce Arians and Haley, has seen the former and latter both run out of town for being too close to Roethlisberger or too hard on the Pro Bowl quarterback.
Fichtner has a feeling his relationship with Roethlisberger will be one even Goldilocks would find to be just right.
"The relationship has always been respect first," Fichtner said of his dealings with Roethlisberger. "He knows I’m going to give him an honest day’s work as quarterbacks coach, as offensive coordinator, whether I’m both, or if I’m just his friend. When I’m not here, I’m going to be his friend and I’m going to be his friend for a long time, whether we win, win ugly, win great, it’s not going to change. We have a communication line and we’re going to move forward with that."
That's been forged by Fichtner's time on Mike Tomlin's staff, first as receivers coach, then as quarterbacks coach. Now that he's the man in charge of the Steelers' offense, having replaced Haley, he knows there are times when he'll have to take a different tack. But he also knows he'll have the respect of the men around him.
Quiet and unassuming, Fichtner is a hands-on coach who puts in the time and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.
"There’s no doubt," he said if things have changed for him. "In the leadership role, you’re looking ahead and in the daily planning, you’re looking ahead to give everyone as much time as possible to be able to handle their business. They need information, too. You want to always keep that in mind with your staff."
That might have sometimes been lacking with Haley, a gifted playcaller, but someone who wasn't always on the same page as the rest of the coaching staff — or Roethlisberger.
Offensive line coach Mike Munchak said the transition has been seamless.
"Anytime there's change, I think it will look different when we get going again," Munchak told me. "We've had success. We've been good with a lot of things. Ben does a lot of good things and the guys do, as well. There's going to be tweaking here and there. There will be some adjustments here and there. He'll call a game differently, that will be a difference. It will be fun. He's well-prepared. We've been working together for five years. I think he's going to do a great job and he's got a great relationship with the guys. So far, so good."
It keeps coming back to those relationships with Fichtner. Roethlisberger mentioned it last week. But that also will only take you so far. This is, after all, a results-driven league.
Fichtner knows that, as well. He looks forward to placing his stamp on the offense, especially in the red zone, where the Steelers have struggled at times.
"In general, details, assignment details and fundamentals come back into play," Fichtner said of plays run inside the opposing 20. "Now, you’re talking about coaches. You’re going to say ‘be on the screws, you’d better be on the screws there.’ Everything gets magnified. Decisions, throws, everything is so tight. Obviously, you’ve got a defense that’s not going to back up. They’ve got nowhere to go. Everything is tighter, throws, runs, blocking assignments. Everyone has to be tight and together. Those are things you have to acquire and demand."
That was not meant as a shot at anyone else, but a belief in what he is bringing to the table. The Steelers' offense isn't going to look drastically different in 2018. Roethlisberger will still be under center. Antonio Brown is still going to be the focal point of the passing game. Le'Veon Bell will still touch the ball a lot — eventually.
In respect to the last part of that equation, Fichtner isn't afraid to take a look at some different things, especially since Bell was not at minicamp for the second consecutive year. The running back continues to stay away rather than sign his franchise tag offer.
But that is giving Fichtner the opportunity to look at James Conner and fifth-round draft pick Jaylen Samuels and get an idea of what they can do.
"What you do is you pop in No. 38 (Samuels), new N.C. State and you say, 'Hmm, what can he do that’s like 26?',” Fichtner said. "And you say, 'Wow, he can do that. He can’t do that. He will be ready to do that.' You can put him in those positions. Likewise, we can do it with James. Put James Conner in positions we can see growth and see what he can develop into."
That's all part of the equation. Scripting out practices. Thinking ahead about possibilities. Fichtner hasn't been an offensive coordinator in the NFL before — he's done it at the collegiate level — but he's been planning for this day for a while, putting it together like one of his practice scripts.
And he knows the bottom line.
"You may average 70 plays in a game. One week you might throw it 40 times and run it 30," he said. "One week you have to throw it 50 and try to win a game. It’s about trying to win a game. And always keeping in mind that the guys that can put the ball in the end zone and can convert third downs, you’re putting them in a position to have success."
Is that an offensive philosophy? Perhaps not. But Fichtner isn't ready to declare the Steelers will be one thing any more than another. Besides, he's still getting input from all kinds of sources on what to run, including from fans and family members.
"Certainly. More from family members. More about what they want to see," he said. "Anything we’re going to attempt to do, we’re going to do as a staff. We’re going to do it with thoughtful, hard work and we’re going to put our players on the field with the best opportunity for success."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
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Steelers minicamp, Rooney Complex, June 12, 2018 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS[/caption]
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