Don't expect Haley to turn Vick loose vs. Cardinals

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said on Thursday what most everyone who has watched the Steelers the past two weeks already surmised. He is calling a scaled-back game with backup quarterback Mike Vick, and he doesn’t plan to change a lot on Sunday when the Steelers play host to the Arizona Cardinals.

“This week it will be no different,” Haley said. “It will be about trying to get a win with a quarterback that hasn’t been here a whole lot of time and has to continue to do the things he is doing, which is protecting the football, first and foremost. This team we are playing, they do a great job on offense. But they have 13 takeaways on defense that is putting their offense in a lot of really good spots. We can’t be a team giving them those opportunities.”

Vick’s first game came against a previously winless Ravens team. Vick did not commit any turnovers, and the Steelers had that game won until Josh Scobee lost it with two missed field goals in the final minutes of the game.

Against the Chargers on Monday night, Vick’s only turnover came on a meaningless interception on a Hail Mary pass to end the half. The Steelers were able to stay close and pulled the game out with two fourth quarter touchdown drives led by Vick.

“He has to continue growing within what we are trying to get done, and using the tools we have,” Haley said. “Obviously we have a bunch of guys that are very capable of making plays. For him, it’s just staying on course on where the ball is supposed to go within each defense that is shown to him. And if you get outside of that box, I think that would spell trouble. That’s in no way being conservative or playing not to lose. We are throwing the football. He just has to throw it to where it’s supposed to go, and we do our best from a game planning standpoint to put one of our best players, [Antonio Brown], in spots to have a chance. The coverage could still say no.”

Haley’s response as to whether Brown got the ball enough against the Chargers?

“Yeah. We won. So, that’s all that is important right now, how we can get a win on the board.”

-- With center Maurkice Pouncey out for perhaps the season after a second surgery on his leg, Haley was asked about the play of backup center Cody Wallace. There have been some mixed reviews on Wallace through the first five games, but Haley had high praise for him.

“I think he’s done a terrific job,” he said. “But I am not surprised by it. Like I said when Pouncey went down, and you all asked how were we going to function, Cody had been with us two years ago and played a big part in us being one of the better offenses the second half of 2013. He’s here for a reason. I love the way he goes about his business. You just have to look for the last guy hitting after the whistle, and it’s usually him. He is smart. He has done a great job, whether it’s been Ben in there or Mike, as he handles a lot of issues. That’s what you are looking for.

-- Defensive coordinator Keith Butler has a couple of his younger players performing well, but he would like to see second-year defense end Stephon Tuitt and third-year outside linebacker Jarvis Jones more consistency.

“He played a good football game,” Butler said of Jones. “Turing a corner for me is playing three in a row. Then, we can see something. I think he did well last week. I think he’s starting to feel comfortable in the system. I said this the last two years. I know he’s the No. 1 draft choice. But, anytime you try to do something and it’s fast and physical, it takes a while to learn that sometimes. When you feel comfortable enough to the point it’s second nature to you, it becomes easier. The game slows down a little bit. Hopefully, that’s starting to happen for him.

On Tuitt: “He’s still got a long way to go, but he’s getting better every week. He’s a bear when you’re trying to keep him from pass rushing, but there are some thing he can do better in the running game. He can be a better player. We like where he’s at right now. We want to see him continue to get better. We feel like he can. I don’t think we are nitpicking with him. I think we just want to see him on the rise, like we think he can.”