The Pittsburgh Steelers' season continued to spiral on Sunday with a 40-23 loss to the Chicago Bears. While the Steelers should be helped by the expected return of running back Le'Veon Bell, offensive coordinator Todd Haley's time in Pittsburgh could be coming to an end.
Bell, a second-round pick of the 2013 draft, is expected to make his season-debut on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. After being sidelined with a foot injury since month, the rookie has "progressed faster" than the team thought and is likely to play this week, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports.
Bell should give a boost to Pittsburgh's struggling offense, but it may not fix the problem. After starting 0-3 and missing the playoffs last season, the Steelers' woes could mark the eventual end of the Haley experiment.
After Ben Roethlisberger admitted to being frustrated with Haley's system last year, Antonio Brown is the latest to reportedly be at odds with the offensive coordinator. The two had a heated argument last Monday on the sidelines, with Brown upset about his lack of looks in the offense.
Brown had an incredible game against the Bears - nine receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns - but the friction between coach and receiver appears to still be there.
Haley and Brown have "never gotten along," a source told CBS Sports. While Roethlisberger this year appears to be on better terms with Haley, if the offense continues to be unproductive and losses continue to accumulate, tempers again could flare.
In three games so far, they rank 31st in rushing yards and 10th in passing, but 30th in touchdowns with just 42 points scored on the season for an average of 14 points per game. To contextualize it, only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have scored less than the Steelers.
If Pittsburgh continues to lose, and with Roethlisberger and Brown already having a strained relationship with Haley, the offensive coordinator could be done before the end of the season.
