It’s a brave new world under Arthur Smith for players like Connor Heyward. A 2022 draft pick, he only ever played under Matt Canada as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator. This year appears to be his first taste of experiencing a professionally-run offensive unit, one with a clear purpose.
Such a transition takes some getting used to. The reality is that a lot of current Steelers haven’t played under an offensive coordinator like Arthur Smith before. Heyward and a whole host of others are young enough to have experienced nothing else in Pittsburgh. And so far the differences seem to be obvious for them.
“I feel like everybody’s role has changed with the offense”, Connor Heyward said during OTAs yesterday, via the team’s YouTube page. “A lot of tight ends, a lot of usage of the receivers, fullbacks, and quarterback mobility. It’s a change for everybody, but it’s a good change”.
The comment is sufficiently vague, but also matches up with what other players are saying about Smith. Isaac Seumalo emphasized his prioritization of accountability, for example. And Heyward isn’t the first to talk about his heavy personnel sets.
“When we get in all those personnels, we’re gonna use that to our [advantage]. We’re very versatile in our room alone”, Heyward said of the tight ends. That room now also includes a Smith staple in MyCole Pruitt, who goes back to his Tennessee days.
As for Heyward himself, he’s ready for anything, though he’s still working in the tight end group. “I always look at myself as a football player”, he said. “Just do whatever the coaches tell me to do. Running back, tight end, fullback, and special teams, of course”.
The Steelers already began expanding their tight end usage last season with Darnell Washington. Heyward also saw an uptick in his playing time, though that had a lot to do with Pat Freiermuth and his injury. Either way, he’s expecting to see even more under Arthur Smith. “Definitely excited seeing the tight end snap count go up”, he said.
Smith uses more 12, 13, and other heavy personnel packages than most teams around the league. The Steelers are leaning in that direction this year, particularly after trading WR Diontae Johnson. Previously, they had been one of the heavier 11 personnel teams, but that is likely to change drastically.
That doesn’t mean they’ll see a remarkable uptick in targets in the passing game. But they will be heavily involved in getting the offense going, particularly with respect to run-blocking. And with players like Freiermuth and Heyward, they do have options who can catch the ball.
12 personnel is arguably the most versatile offensive grouping if you have the personnel to run it effectively. If you have two tight ends who are both plus blockers and receivers, you can basically beat any matchup a defense throws at you. That’s the theory, anyway. You still have to beat your man at the end of the day—or the end of the play. Does Smith have good enough tight ends in players like Heyward to meet his objectives?
