The Pittsburgh Steelers answered their most pressing question this offseason by reportedly hiring a new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Before his tenure with the Falcons, Smith served as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans from 2019-20 and had beem a member of Titans coaching staff since 2011. Jon Burton, a host on Nashville Sports Radio who covered the Titans when Smith was on the staff, joined The Cook & Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan to discuss the hiring.
“On paper it’s a good fit…he made his bones as a really good offensive coordinator before going to Atlanta,” Burton told hosts Ron Cook and Joe Starkey. “He’s widely respected as a coordinator.”
While Smith got a lot of heat this season for his inability to maximize the Falcons’ young talent, it’s important to note how successful Smith was as the Titans’ offensive coordinator.
“In 2020, Tannehill threw for 3,819 yards and 33 touchdowns with just 7 interceptions. Derrick Henry had over 2,000 yards rushing, and they had a 1,000-yard receiver in A.J. Brown,” Burton said. “The ball was spread out. Brown wasn’t getting the majority of the targets. The tight ends got involved a lot too…[they hit] guys out of the backfield as well. Obviously, you gotta figure out what you want to do at quarterback up there in Pittsburgh, but I look at a guy like [Pat] Freiermuth, he could be looking at a monster year because Arthur Smith loves to use his tight ends, especially in the red zone.”
Smith has a reputation for utilizing run-heavy schemes, orchestrating one of the best rushing attacks in the league with Henry in 2019 and 2020. However, Burton praised him for the success in the passing game too. Ryan Tannehill’s two most statistically impressive seasons came when Smith was calling plays. He combined for 45 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions in those two seasons with career high passer ratings of 117.5 and 106.5, respectively. Tannehill’s career was revitalized under Smith’s tutelage.
Burton also highlighted Smith’s multifaceted usage of tight ends. Smith coached tight ends for the Titans from 2014-18, and after he took over as OC, he got the most of his tight ends as both pass catchers and run blockers. The Steelers often deploy packages with multiple tight ends, and it seems like an ideal match to pair Smith with young, talented tight ends like Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
Freiermuth played in just 12 games this past season, and he was mostly an afterthought in the passing game, recording just 32 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns, though he did impress down the stretch. Smith’s track record proves that he could unleash a player like Freiermuth, getting him back on track to being one of Pickett’s most reliable targets.
Many critics point out Smith’s failure to unlock Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pitts has just six receiving touchdowns in three seasons, and he often played second-fiddle to veteran tight end Jonnu Smith this past season.
The Pitts situation may seem concerning, but looking from a team-wide perspective, the Falcons finished third in the league in receptions and receiving yards at the tight end position last season. The passing game wasn’t too pretty in Atlanta, but Smith was able to spread the ball around among multiple options, including standout rookie running back Bijan Robinson.
Whether Smith can replicate what he did in Tennessee is unknown, but the Steelers have weapons and strategic strengths that could complement Smith’s strengths as a play caller. There will certainly be mixed opinions about the hiring among Steelers fans, but Smith’s previous stint as an offensive coordinator should give fans reason for optimism.
And as Cook of 93.7 The Fan eloquently stated in the beginning of this segment:
“The best thing I’ll say about him is…he’s not Matt Canada.”
