Being an offensive coordinator is a lot like being a financial advisor. The answer to most questions are the same. It depends. Each situation is unique, each case different, and there’s rarely a one-size-fits-all answer. That’s the message Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith sent when asked about quarterbacks and their ability to make checks and audibles at the line of scrimmage. It has its place but there’s a fine line to walk.
Speaking with reporters via a team-issued transcript, Smith offered a whopping 665-word answer on the topic Thursday.
“I think most NFL offenses now when you build in a play call, and it’s a lot about logistics, too,” he said. “I joked earlier this year nobody is picking something random out of the air, but that’s the logistics. That’s the stuff you practice and meet on. If you’re not on the same page, there could be some really bad unintended consequences.”
Changing a play-call isn’t just about having a quarterback capable of seeing and making the switch. The rest of the offense must be on the same page, too. A younger or newer team has a greater chance for error than a veteran group with lots of continuity. Pittsburgh has moving pieces thanks to a brand-new quarterback room, a new coordinator, a new quarterbacks coach, and two rookie offensive linemen, including a first-year center. If one player fails to hear the call, the play can end in failure.
While that wasn’t the case here, this is just one example. Against the Washington Commanders in Week 10, Wilson made a check from play-action to a run. Second-year TE Darnell Washington didn’t receive the call and ran his route. Though it actually proved to be effective and pulled players out of the box, those mistakes often prove costly. A receiver running a wrong route leads to an interception. A tackle who doesn’t hear the call gives up a crucial sack. Ugly moments that can turn the tenor of games.
Smith also acknowledged that defenses are trying to stay a step ahead, too.
“A lot of things that don’t get talked about enough is that defenses are doing the same thing. You play these teams, and they have a zone call or a man-to-man call and you get certain bunches of stacks, get to a zone check, those are games within the games. There are some really smart defensive players. That’s when we were playing a really smart Mike linebacker. If you’re in a certain formation, it may just be one-on-one, but you start motioning down, those are games within the games and now we’re trying to exploit it.”
Defenses have their own built-in checks. As Smith notes, it might be man coverage initially but if the offense motions into a bunch or stack, the defense might adjust. They might make a “Box” call and play first-out/first-in rules that match players based on how routes break to avoid picks and rubs. There might be combination coverages to play one call to one side and something different to the other. Like any good offense, any productive defense isn’t static.
It’s a cat-and-mouse game Smith has been on the winning and losing end of this year. Against the Cleveland Browns, Smith was behind. Too many repeated calls from the same looks and the Browns swarmed Against the Cincinnati Bengals, he was ahead. He countered the Bengals’ blitzes, run-stopping fronts, and their soft coverage, leading to the Steelers’ most points in six years.
Smith even noted the TV tape is a more useful tool than ever. Even if the “gold” is in the All-22, which doesn’t capture audio.
“The TV tells you everything now. How do you come up with code words for run, pass, whatever you’re doing,” he said. “It’s comical because when you go back and watch the TV copy, because you’ve got to change them week to week, some of the stuff you [Zach] Frazier say, that’s the fascinating part of this sport.”
This year, there’s already been a “Bud Light” call. Ben Roethlisberger made “Dilly, Dilly” famous. The 2020 pandemic helped increase emphasis on the TV tape, clearly being able to hear cadences and verbiage because of the lack of fans. The return of crowds have made that more challenging but teams now use TV tape as another tool in their belt to gain the edge on opponents. It’s one of two things the TV tape shows over the Coaches Tape. Audio and pace. Because the All-22 is cut-up and doesn’t show a clear view of the playclock, it’s difficult to get a sense of when and how teams use tempo.
Smith’s answer didn’t reach hard and fast conclusions. The NFL as a whole offers few. But it was interesting insight to all the things that must be considered when building a game plan. When to give freedom and when to take it away.
