Two-time Super Bowl champion QB Ben Roethlisberger knows a thing or two about playing offense in the National Football League. You don’t win two Super Bowls as a starter by accident. You don’t lead the league in passing yards twice accidentally, either.
So it’s understandable why actor Joe Manganiello asked Roethlisberger what he thinks about Smith on Tuesday’s episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. And it certainly sounds like Big Ben is a fan of Arthur Smith.
“I love the kind of the no-huddle they’re doing,” said Roethlisberger. “It’s not really an up-tempo no-huddle, but they’re kind of keeping the momentum going. Sometimes, I think they need to slow that down because sometimes it looks like we’re a little confused. But what he’s doing in terms of the run game, I love some of the play-action stuff, taking the shots. I don’t know him, but I would’ve loved to have played for him. Just ’cause it seems like he loves to use the tight end.”
Roethlisberger got to play with some fantastic tight ends during his Steelers career. The “Heeeeath” chants that used to echo around the stadium for TE Heath Miller certainly speak to that. He even named Vance McDonald, his one year with Pat Freiermuth and Matt Spaeth. So, undoubtedly, Roethlisberger would have enjoyed an offense that utilized the tight end position like Smith tries to do. And most quarterbacks love using play-action to cause defenses problems, too.
Now, that doesn’t mean Smith is perfect. The red-zone offense has struggled this season. The Steelers score a touchdown on 45.2 percent of their drives that reach the red zone, the fourth-worst mark in the league. As Clayton Eckert points out in that article, the Steelers are the only team (out of six) that have a percentage below 50 percent while posting a winning record.
Roethlisberger even points out that he personally would like to see more crossing routes out of Smith’s offense. But overall, he’s quite happy with what Arthur Smith is doing as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator. And it sounds like he would have enjoyed being under center in that offense as well.
And the numbers bear that out. In 2023, the Steelers averaged 17.9 points per game. That was 28th in the league. Through 13 weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Steelers are averaging 24.8 points per game (darn near a touchdown plus the extra point higher than in 2023). That’s 10th in the league.
Arthur Smith is showing why head coach Mike Tomlin brought him on board. It may not be perfect, but it sure as heck has made the Steelers a contender in the AFC.
