Could the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running game be better? For an offensive coordinator wired to pound the rock like Arthur Smith, it could always be better. But Smith takes issue with the notion the running game is sputtering. Asked about the run game struggles during a Wednesday meeting with the media, Smith pushed back on the narrative.
“I wouldn’t call it struggles,” Smith said via a team-issued transcript. “If I look at it objectively, it’s all really people’s perception. We’re towards the top of the league in rushing. Sometimes it’s not as efficient as you want, but I think biggest thing, if you watched us closely, it’s really all the way around.”
It was at that point he leaned into his “old pickup truck” analogy which isn’t the sort of comparison you typically make for a unit firing on all its cylinders. Perhaps Smith thinks the Steelers are built like a Top Gear-shown Toyota Hilux but more recently, they’ve looked like a beat-up Ford.
Smith’s point about being at the top of the league in rushing is from a volume perspective. Pittsburgh ranks second in rushing attempts and 10th in rushing yards. But as he mentions, it’s an inefficient group. They’re 30th in yards per carry and Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris rank 40th and 46th in run-success rate out of 52 qualifiers, Pro Football Reference ranks the Steelers 30th in Rush EXP, and they’re 30th in Rush EPA.
The inefficient nature of the running game is the struggle. Volume is created partially because of Smith’s philosophy, his teams almost always finding themselves top 10 in rushing attempts, and the Steelers’ ability to play with the lead.
To his credit, Pittsburgh’s rushing attack got off to a faster start this year than seasons past. But it has at best plateaued and at worst taken steps back. In 2022 and 2023, the Steelers put together strong rushing performances at the end of the year. In 2024, that hasn’t happened despite the offensive line being healthy since the bye and allowing the front five to become a cohesive unit rather than the musical chairs the Steelers played the first seven weeks of the season.
Getting back on track the next two weeks will be difficult. The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs present tough defensive fronts with great interior play. What matters most is where the Steelers end the season on the ground and right now, they are far from in a groove.
