The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new offense under Arthur Smith, but will Russell Wilson run it or Justin Fields? Cue the little girl from the taco commercial asking why they don’t have both hard and soft shells. The idea that the Steelers could use Fields in a specialized package has been around for months. But regardless of how things play out, Fields is very confident in the versatility of this scheme.
“I think his offense is very expandable,” Justin Fields said of the offense under Arthur Smith, via the Steelers’ website. “I think he can adjust during the game, so there’s a lot he can do in the game, and of course when Russ is in there, too, so I think it’s very flexible. But, I feel great overall, and I think we’re learning and growing each and every day.”
Barring a specially-designed package for Justin Fields, the Steelers hope they don’t need Arthur Smith to expand very much. They just want him to build the offense around Russell Wilson and the run game, with the line play paramount.
That is how Smith ran his offense as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. Barring one season with Matt Ryan in Atlanta, he took the same approach as head coach of the Falcons. And the Steelers hired him precisely because of his identity as a schemer of a physical, run-heavy offense.
But any time you actually hear Arthur Smith talk about offense, what he stresses most of all is versatility. Every offensive coordinator says these things to some degree, but he aims to cater to his personnel against the personnel they are set to play. The Steelers, and his previous offenses, just happened to have run-heavy personnel — not by coincidence, mind you. And fans are bound to love hearing that he can make adjustments in-game.
But what Justin Fields was getting at, of course, is explaining that he believes he fits into Smith’s offense, because Smith will make him fit if he is on the field. He and Russell Wilson have talked about how much input they have had, a welcome sight for both.
The Steelers have one more preseason game to play before the regular season begins. They travel to Detroit to face the Lions, and both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will play. It will be interesting to see how long each stays in the game as the Arthur Smith offense takes shape.
Beyond that, one thing to watch for is whether the Steelers allow Fields to work with first-team personnel. I think we could see the first-team offensive line play longer than the skill players — and they need the work, anyway.
But is there much of any chance of Justin Fields winning the starting quarterback job tomorrow? Could we see Fields run the Arthur Smith offense and watch as it develops around his skill set? I wouldn’t put any money down on such a bet, but I’ll enjoy watching him try to force the issue.
