The Pittsburgh Steelers are just a month or two into installing a brand-new offensive system from OC Arthur Smith, and the players seem to unanimously approve of his coaching style and ideas for the offense. We have heard it from guys like Justin Fields, Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren and others. Calvin Austin III is the latest to shower praise on Smith.
“He is exactly what we need,” Austin said of Smith in a video posted by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on YouTube. “He’s on us, he coaches us, he talks to us, he communicates with us, he learns from us. He asks us for our opinion. He’s willing to work with us. It’s good. That’s all I can say. Just keep it short, it’s good. And I think it’s gonna continue to be good from here on out.”
Smith has been playing the bad guy a little bit at training camp. He is responsible for the players running laps for every mental error or simple mistake they make. I think it speaks volumes that he is still drawing rave reviews from players despite being the disciplinarian of the coaching staff.
Communication is another thing that has consistently been mentioned by players. Smith not only instructs the players and explains the “why” behind his concepts, but he keeps the communication open so players can give feedback. He seems to really take that feedback into account. For example, Justin Fields said if the quarterbacks don’t like the play call, he won’t call it.
That gives everyone a sense of ownership over the offense, and that is perfect for getting players to buy into what he is teaching.
For any players who were around for the Matt Canada era in Pittsburgh, it sounds like Arthur Smith’s coaching style is a stark contrast in the best way possible. The Steelers have managed to be relatively successful despite having an offense that held the team back. Smith, along with some of the other changes on offense, should give the Steelers their best chance to win and compete in the playoffs that they’ve had in years.
