One of the common themes about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new offense under Arthur Smith has been about player “buy-in.” Perhaps they are just unfamiliar with what an actual offense looks like after playing under Matt Canada. Regardless of why, the players are invested in what Smith is trying to do, as WR Calvin Austin III exemplifies.
“It’s a lot more intensity and a push behind it,” the second-year wide receiver said of Smith’s offense, via the team’s website. “We’re actually going out there and you can feel that we’re pushing on offense. We’re pushing everybody to be perfect in details and everything. And it’s still early. You’re not going to be perfect, but you know the coaches are pushing for that.”
Austin isn’t the only player talking about the intensity and urgency in Arthur Smith’s approach. Jaylen Warren talked about the same thing, as just one example. And for the players, this very much seems to be a moving-train situation. You better get on board.
“If it’s not well received by any player, then that player probably doesn’t belong here,” Austin said about buying into the intensity of Smith’s coaching. “We’re pushing to be great. We’re not pushing to have a winning record. No, we’re pushing to be world champions. If you’re not, if you don’t have that same mindset.”
The Steelers obviously didn’t seem to get that kind of approach under Matt Canada for the past three years. Rather, Arthur Smith seems to be a radical departure from Canada, and the players are embracing it. Perhaps they view it as the antidote to the approach that did not work for them.
Now, we should probably allow for a base level of enthusiasm around this time of year. Other than the occasional 30-something franchise quarterback, you’re not going to hear a lot of grumbling about a new offensive system. Change, particularly proactive change, usually finds plenty of support. The early stages of Smith’s tenure in Pittsburgh is clearly no exception.
Another thing worth noting is the fact that the Steelers noticeably lacked discipline last year. One can easily imagine that hiring Smith was a direct response to that. You know it’s a problem when even the players are complaining about it.
The Atlanta Falcons fired Smith as their head coach this offseason after three years on the job. His teams posted a losing record each of those three years. Prior to that, however, he was a rising star moving up the ranks in the Tennessee Titans organization. His two years as offensive coordinator really put his name on the map, and he wants to recapture that here.
The Steelers have given Smith a new offensive line to work with, and swapped out some of the coaching staff. They also completely turned over the quarterback room, though that wasn’t necessarily the plan. He has the tight ends that he likes, as well. The biggest question is whether they find him another wide receiver before the regular season.
