The performance of Arthur Smith’s Pittsburgh Steelers offense on Thursday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns was puzzling. The numbers looked solid overall, the Steelers accounting for 368 yards of total offense, 35:02 time of possession, a 1-for-2 mark in the red zone and 5.5 yards per play.
But the numbers weren’t good enough as the Steelers scored just 19 points and needed a furious fourth-quarter rally just to get back into the game. The run game was largely inconsistent, pass protection was a mess as Cleveland’s Myles Garrett wrecked the first half as a pass rusher, and the Steelers were atrocious in short-yardage situations.
Then, on a pivotal 3rd and 4 late in the game, the Steelers had backup quarterback Justin Fields in the game to throw a deep ball to wide receiver George Pickens, which fell incomplete and largely doomed the Black and Gold.
That decision, along with some struggles from a play-calling perspective, reportedly has some within the organization looking at Arthur Smith and questioning if he could be doing more offensively.
At least, that’s what Audacy NFL insider Jason La Canfora stated during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show Tuesday.
“I’m looking at Arthur Smith and there’s people in that building looking at Arthur Smith, like, ‘Come on now, Hoss. If we’re gonna use Fields, let’s use ’em to run the ball in the red zone, not coming cold on third and long and throw it.’ Why is [Jaylen] Warren not yet the feature [back]?” La Canfora said, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “Like, what’s gotta happen to get Warren the ball more when it’s dictated, and in that game, he was the better option in the pass game and in the run game. What’s up with his snap counts? Some of the personnel usage, not just that running back but inside the red zone, like why are we taking some big bodies off for smaller bodies?”
The usage of Fields last Thursday night was rather puzzling. The Steelers and Smith have talked for a few weeks now about a special Fields package designed to get the QB on the field to give defenses a different look. They utilized it a few times in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens with success, but on a short week against the Browns, things were out of whack and didn’t really have all that great of an impact, outside of a 30-yard Fields run.
He was stuffed in short yardage on a clunky play where guys were late getting on and off the field. And then he was asked to throw deep on a 3rd and 4 to Pickens, which was 100% a spot for which Russell Wilson should have been in the game.
Now, a whole new round of QB questions are popping up for the Steelers, especially given their struggles in the red zone offensively as well as the slow starts as a whole.
Taking your starting QB on and off the field for a special package with your backup disrupts timing. So far, Wilson and the Steelers are handling it well, but it just feels messy, and things didn’t work out well at all last Thursday.
That’s put Arthur Smith front and center, right or wrong.
“I think there’s a sense that they could be orchestrating that offense at a higher level than it is and that’s not exonerating the quarterback play,” La Canfora said. “I’m not telling you they’ve got the best offensive roster in the world, but didn’t seem like he really was ready to adapt to the way that game was playing out and who was looking better in that game based on the snow and the Browns being as fired up as they were and Myles Garrett pretty much eating their tackles for lunch.”
The Steelers really struggled with Garrett in the first half but ultimately made adjustments in the second half to slow him down. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. stated after the game the Steelers didn’t have a good enough plan in the first half, which showed itself to be true, but they did adjust. That matters.
It is fair to question if this offense can operate at a higher level. It’s largely boom or bust, relying on some big plays in the passing game from Wilson and his receivers. But in the red zone, it’s a mess. They’re among the league’s worst in that area of the field and there appear to be no answers as of late.
That’s on Smith to try and figure out.
So far, he hasn’t been able to. Maybe that’s where the questions of Arthur Smith from inside the facility might be coming from, based on what La Canfora is hearing.
“I think they feel like more could be done, yeah,” La Canfora said. “Like, ‘Hey man, let’s, let’s try to reassess what we’re doing in game and, and how quickly maybe we’re ready to deviate from how we thought this was going to go.’ You know what I mean? Or what we thought the script was gonna be to what’s actually gonna work in this situation.”
Make no mistake about it: the Week 12 loss to the Browns was the worst game Smith has called as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator. He didn’t adjust to what he was seeing on the field and continued to bang his head against the wall in short-yardage situations to no avail.
Add some issues in the red zone and it’s clear that the Steelers and Smith needed the mini bye week to reassess and get back on track. It’ll be a big test for him coming up in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.
