New is how to describe the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. They have a new offensive coordinator, a new offensive line and a new quarterback room top to bottom. There might be a lot of moving pieces looking to jell on the fly, but for OC Arthur Smith, there’s something less stressful about everyone standing at the same starting line.
“It’s probably easier,” Smith told reporters via the team YouTube channel during mandatory minicamp. “If you get a job like this and there’s a guy who has maybe been here 10 years and have a certain way they’ve done things. And you’re new. We’re all new. So that’s been fun. Going back and looking at film, all three of those guys have done it at previous stops. Stuff I’ve done at previous stops.”
Smith’s hypothetical played out the last time the Steelers hired a coordinator. Matt Canada wasn’t a brand new external hire, but elevated from QBs Coach to Ben Roethlisberger’s offensive coordinator in his final year. A first-year play caller with a Year 18 quarterback. It created complication in meshing the two together, though it wasn’t the reason Canada failed in his post.
Pittsburgh hit the reset button on their offense. Smith is a change from Canada, an established NFL coach with a proven coordinator track record. The quarterbacks are veterans with better physical talent, while Russell Wilson is anchoring himself as the clear leader and anchor. There also might be a different culture feel, the team getting rid of malcontents like Diontae Johnson even at a cost of making the roster less talented.
Growing pains with a new group are expected, and they’re likely to happen. But there’s benefit in commonality even if that one similarity is change. For Smith, it’ll make it easier to install and teach his offense, especially with so many former Atlanta Falcons on this team in WR Van Jefferson, RB Cordarrelle Patterson and TE MyCole Pruitt.
In 2024, change can’t happen for the sake of change. Pittsburgh can no longer rearrange the chairs on the Titanic. From all the new coaches and personnel, there must be one more. A new-looking Steelers offense that’s more explosive, more efficient and gets off to faster starts. All in an effort to score more points, the biggest change Pittsburgh needs this year.
