When the 2023 season ended, perhaps the biggest question that Steelers fans wanted answered was who the team’s next offensive coordinator would be. Matt Canada often left fans frustrated, with the offense seeming to have no rhythm to it. Arthur Smith may not have been most people’s first choice to fill the role, but he does have a history of success in that role, as opposed to his time as a head coach. While it hasn’t been tested in actual games yet, it seems that Smith is doing a great job so far explaining his vision to the players, at least according to Mike Tomlin.
After the first day of minicamp, Tomlin, who was just awarded a new contact extension, spoke to the media. In a video from Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker, he was asked about Smith’s impact on the Steelers so far.
”I just like the energy and detail that he brings. It creates a really good environment. He’s doing a really good job of selling his system of football to the players,” Tomlin said via Becker’s Twitter. “Increasing the level of understanding. He loves to coach. I’d imagine it’s refreshing for him to get focused on a certain component of the job. It’s just a lot to be excited about.”
Based on everything the players have said about Smith, Tomlin’s observation is correct. NFL offenses can be confusing if the verbiage they use overwhelms players, especially when transitioning to a totally new system. For the Steelers, that problem would only be multiplied because of the amount of new pieces they’ve added. Not only have they completely overhauled their quarterback room, but they’ve also made major changes to wide receiver and along the offensive line.
Despite all those new additions and changes, it seems nothing is getting lost in translation with Smith’s offense, at least so far. There’s still a lot of time until the Steelers play an actual football game, so no one will know for sure until then. However, Smith’s style of football, which is predicated on running the ball effectively, lines up perfectly with what the Steelers have wanted their offensive identity to be for the past few years. That should bode well for everything gelling together correctly.
There will surely be growing pains, but everything starts with proper communication. If aspects of Smith’s offense are communicated incorrectly, then it would be like making the base of a house out of sticks. It will crumble immediately and very noticeably. However, it seems that shouldn’t be an issue, as Tomlin made sure to praise that as a strength of Smith’s so far. Fans should expect a higher standard on offense this year, and Smith seems qualified so far to meet that expectation.
