The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to rebuild their offensive coaching staff, headlined by new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, whom many anticipate will benefit running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. In five years as offensive coordinator or head coach, his offenses have ranked in the top 10 four times. RB Derrick Henry rushed for more than 2,000 yards under him in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans.
The two leading rushers for the Steelers in 2023 didn’t even manage that combined. But they both hope Smith can take the running game to yet another level after ranking 13th last season. Warren likes what he’s heard so far, at least.
“I’m excited”, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quotes Warren saying of Smith. “That’s really all I know about him is that I’ve heard he likes to run the ball. That’s kind of been the identity we’re trying to establish the past couple years, I guess, so I’m excited to see what he brings to the table”.
The Steelers have lived divided lives each of the past two seasons, particularly on offense. Slow starts in the first half with gradual improvement late; that has become the pattern. That is especially true for the running game where they’ve gone from among the worst to the opposite end.
After ranking 27th in rushing yards in the first seven games of the 2022 season, the Steelers ranked seventh from that point on, via Pro Football Reference. Likewise in 2023, they moved from 28th to third. In the final 10 games of the year, they rushed for 1,452 yards with 13 touchdowns. In the same span a year earlier, they rushed for 1,458 yards with 12 touchdowns.
The key they must solve is getting off to the starts that mirror their finishes. The Steelers rushed for 470 yards over the final three games of the regular season. They didn’t reach that point until after their bye week in their seventh game to start the year. Smith’s task is to bridge that gap with the help of Warren and Harris as his battering rams.
Smith’s offenses in Tennessee started fast and typically finished even faster. But does Pittsburgh have the goods to mirror that success? How much work needs to be done in personnel and coaching? They have the power backs but lack the explosion of a Henry. The offensive line still needs work.
According to reports, the Steelers intend to retain Pat Meyer as offensive line coach for the third straight year. He is also responsible for helping to put together the team’s rushing game plans. Meyer has at times drawn mixed reviews, particularly due to the slow starts of his units. There are also questions about effectiveness in pass protection.
The team is also expected to retain tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts, so pretty much everybody responsible for teaching people how to block will remain in place. They simply have to do their jobs better than they have been doing. Or at least doing their jobs more consistently. Then we can all be as excited about Arthur Smith as Jaylen Warren is.
