The Pittsburgh Steelers have George Pickens as their unquestioned No. 1 receiver and then a number of potential contributors but no standout WR2 behind him. For Arthur Smith, it’s an opportunity to get more players involved in the offense. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Smith talked about how it reminds him of his time running an offense with the Tennessee Titans.
“Van Jefferson’s a guy that’s had a terrific camp,” Smith said. “Calvin Austin [III], these guys, Scotty Miller, Dez Fitzpatrick, Quez Watkins, they’re all competing. And that’s where it feels a lot more like Tennessee where everyone’s getting involved. We have things we’ll do now that I’ve done in my past, not even as an OC but as a tight ends coach, ’cause we’ve got a unique offensive line here, and you never want to get stale. You want to play the strengths, and we have an identity in our style of play. That’s what’s made this job so fun so far.”
Smith’s final year in Tennessee in 2020 saw six players receive 30 or more targets, with WR A.J. Brown leading the way with 106. Pickens will likely lead the Steelers in targets with Pat Freiermuth second, but beyond that, it might be a lot of spreading the ball around. While the question over who the WR2 will be for Pittsburgh, it might not matter as much with so many different guys able to make plays in different areas and provide something different for Pittsburgh’s offense.
The Titans were one of the best offenses in the league under Smith, and that 2020 offense ranked fourth in points per game as the Titans made a run to the AFC Championship Game.
It sounds as if Van Jefferson is in line to be the WR2 assuming the team doesn’t pull off a blockbuster Brandon Aiyuk trade. Austin will compete in the slot, same with rookie Roman Wilson, who’s missed the last two-plus weeks of practice with a knee sprain. Miller and Austin both have speed for days and can be downfield threats. So does Watkins, who needs a strong showing the rest of the summer to make the roster.
Jefferson isn’t as much of a downfield burner but he’s worked with Smith previously. Smith’s Falcons traded for Jefferson last season, so he knows how to best utilize Jefferson to make him an effective piece for Pittsburgh’s offense. The running backs in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris are going to be involved in the passing game too, and Smith is going to make sure the offense is playing to the strengths of each guy.
As he said, this is a team that has a clear-cut identity, rebuilding its offensive line this offseason and hiring Smith, who likes to lean on the run game and play-action. While the run game is going to be the team’s identity and the team is going to get creative, it’s still going to need an effective passing attack to keep up in the loaded AFC. It sounds as if Smith is excited about the variety of the players he has and different ways he can use them.
It’ll be good to see the starting offense potentially get some more run in Pittsburgh’s second preseason game on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills and see more of what Smith has to offer as a play-caller, but the offense should take a step forward from last year. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see what Smith can do and how he can get creative to take Pittsburgh’s offense to the next level.
