The Pittsburgh Steelers are making a believer out of Bruce Arians. The team’s former offensive coordinator is buying into what current OC Arthur Smith is doing. With the Steelers sitting atop the AFC North and holding the conference’s No. 2 seed, Arians is changing his tune about them.
“They’re growing on me,” Arians said during a Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “I didn’t like them that much early in the year, but I really like Arthur Smith and what he is doing offensively. I think he’s doing a hell of a job.”
Pittsburgh’s production isn’t gaudy but is improving. Through six weeks, the Steelers rank 14th in points per game. A two-spot improvement from a season ago and if it holds the rest of the season, it will be the offense’s best finish since 2020. A run game that struggled early in the season has come alive the last two games behind an improving offensive line.
Most importantly, QB Aaron Rodgers and Smith have meshed well. Rodgers isn’t carrying the offense but given enough freedom to run it and get the unit out of bad spots. He’s well on pace to throw for at least 25 touchdowns this season, something the team hasn’t done since 2020.
“Artie Smith, to me, has always been one of the best running coordinators in the game. And that play-action game,” Arians said, calling Pittsburgh a “first- and second-down offense.”
Like many pundits, Arians doubted Pittsburgh could make the pieces come together. In our preseason outlook, more than half the analysts we found predicted the Steelers would miss the playoffs. Now, it would be an upset if the team fails to win the division. Partly due to the chaos around them, but the Steelers have played well and are an ascending bunch.
“They went out and got all those guys on defense,” Arians said. “So, I mean, they should run away with this division right now.”
While Pittsburgh’s enjoying regular-season success, the team has travelled down this road before. To raise the standard, the Steelers need to be measured by postseason viability. Making the playoffs hasn’t been an issue. Getting over the hump with one playoff win, and hopefully more, is how Pittsburgh’s seasons are remembered. Even in a jumbled-up AFC, that won’t be easy.
