Mason Rudolph wasn’t here for Steelers OC Arthur Smith’s first season, but even he can see the differences on offense this year. With a different quarterback, different skill players, and a stable offensive line, he has new ideas. Even going back to what worked and what didn’t last year, he is incorporating it all in now. And he has new pieces to do different things with.
“You try to fit the concepts that you have to the players. I think Arthur’s done a good job of that”, Rudolph said yesterday, via the Steelers’ website. “I watched all the games from last year, with the overlays and the play tags. There’s been a good many different concepts that have been installed. Whether they had that last year and it just didn’t fit the style, [I don’t know]. But I’m real comfortable with that we’ve got in, and I think the guys have been executing well”.
Despite a certain reputation, the Steelers have always seen Arthur Smith as a flexible coach. He even showed that last season, particularly early when he had to scheme around Justin Fields. Arguably, Smith deserves more credit than Fields for getting Fields to help them to a 4-2 start.
Now, though, he has Aaron Rodgers, and he has spent the summer in the lab concocting a plan. The two are working together to put the finishing touches on what they want to do together, with the input of a future Hall of Famer.
Arthur Smith called Rodgers “the perfect fit” for what he wants to do, but perhaps that’s backwards. Perhaps Smith and the Steelers are fitting the perfect offense around what Rodgers can do at this stage of his career. And in that context, building an offense that can go from 00 to 04 personnel groupings. Granted, they’re not likely to run many five-receiver sets, but four-tight-end sets? You betcha.
Earlier this offseason, Smith admitted he couldn’t run exactly what he wanted to run in 2024. Now they have a talent pool that better suits his predilections. But more importantly, they have a more talented, more experienced group. If he had better talent, he could have run his altered offense with more efficiency a year ago. And for a while, let’s not forget, he did just that. During a midseason stretch, the Steelers were scoring 29 points per game.
Last season, the Steelers finished 16th in points and 23rd in yards. Smith’s group had the fourth-most rushing attempts, but only the 11th-most yards and 25th-best YPC. The Steelers threw as infrequently as almost anybody in the league, but at least they protected the ball.
Now that Arthur Smith has Aaron Rodgers, perhaps Mike Tomlin will loosen the reins a bit and allow them to play with more freedom. Why else sign a quarterback like that if you’re not going to fully utilize what he can bring?
