When Ben Roethlisberger was the quarterback, it felt like the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t really need a super-talented offensive coordinator. Coaches like Todd Haley and Bruce Arians still deserve a lot of credit for putting players in the position to succeed, but it felt like Roethlisberger always had the ability to create something out of nothing if he had to. Since his retirement, it’s felt more like the Steelers have been producing nothing when they should have something on offense. Much of the blame for that can be attributed to some atrocious play calling and designs, but one Steelers insider believes that should all change with Arthur Smith in charge this year.
Ray Fittipaldo covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and during a recent appearance with Rothman and Ice on 97.1 The Fan, he was asked if he believes Smith will try to get Justin Fields involved in some packages on the field. Fittipaldo pointed to how that may not seem like something Smith would excel at dialing up, but that there’s more to his abilities than some people may think.
“I think Arthur, he’s kind of got this reputation as this guy who loves physical football, Derrick Henry in Tennessee, and he’s got that reputation,” Fittipaldo said. “That’s who he is, but I think he’s a pretty creative guy too. If you look at some of the schemes that they had when he had A.J. Brown in Tennessee, they could throw the ball around a little bit with someone who I would call an average quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. I think maybe he’s undervalued from a play-design standpoint.”
Seeing Fields used on certain plays has been a talking point this offseason with Russell Wilson pegged as the starter as of now, and it’s an idea that could pay dividends for the Steelers. On paper, it looks more like something that offensive wizard Andy Reid would dial up than the more smash-mouth and physical Smith would, but Fittipaldo’s example of Brown thriving with the Titans supports Smith’s ability outside of running through the defense’s face.
With the Titans, no one thought Tannehill would be anything more than a backup. Fittipaldo calls him an average quarterback, but before he spent time with Smith in Tennessee, that would’ve been a generous label. Smith, however, saw Tannehill’s strengths and managed to maximize them, alongside the big-bodied Brown, who plays receiver with a level of violence not often seen. Tannehill excelled not only as a passer, but also as a rusher, scoring almost twice as many rushing touchdowns with Smith than he did in his six healthy years with Miami before that.
Therefore, there’s a precedent that Smith can effectively utilize a mobile quarterback, and while Tannehill was a good runner, Fields has infinitely more talent than him in that regard. Really, it might be a failure of this offense if the Steelers don’t try to incorporate Fields on the ground in some capacity, unless Wilson really blows the doors off this year. Steelers fans truly suffered watching Matt Canada’s play designs for multiple years, so their loyalty should be rewarded this year with Smith. He struggled as a head coach, but he was an excellent offensive coordinator.
