Steelers offense making adjustments for Vick, starting with ball machine

Published September 30, 2015

Aug 28, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Panthers shutout the Steelers 10-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The switch to Michael Vick from Ben Roethlisberger means the Steelers need to adjust their offense -- from the playcalling all the way down to the JUGS machine.

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley has had to change his mindset and flip the field as a playcaller due to having a left-handed quarterback.

"I think you become a little more left handed formationally," Haley said via Steelers.com. "Like I said, when I call plays, everything is based off of the left hash mark when you have a right-handed quarterback, because generally you want your three-receiver side out to the field. So, when a lefty is in there, I think it kind of flips in your brain. We had a game plan one day that was funny. We kept writing three to the right instead of three to the left, but we felt comfortable today."

The adjustments don't end there. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert is now the blind side protector on the offensive line, and the receivers will have to adapt to a different spin on the ball.

"Catching the football from him, that's a whole different thing," Haley said. "But again, we made sure that these guys were catching a lot of footballs prior to this, and he's obviously getting as much work as he can this week. We switched all the JUGS machines. We spun them the opposite direction."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/steelers-offense-making-adjustments-for-vick-starting-with-ball-machine