With the Steelers’ hiring of Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator, Coach Mike Tomlin is signaling to the NFL what his team’s intentions are moving forward.
And the message is loud and clear. If you play the Steelers, you’d better be prepared to stop the run.And the message is loud and clear. If you play the Steelers, you’d better be prepared to stop the run.
In five seasons as an offensive play caller, Smith’s teams have shown a propensity to run the ball and do it well.
In fact, in only one of his seasons have his teams ranked outside the top 10 in rushing attempts – that coming in his first season as head coach of the Falcons, who were 29th in rushing attempts in 2021.
That would seem to mesh well with what the Steelers have in place.
I think we have two high-performing running backs in Najee (Harris) and Jaylen (Warren),” Steelers president Art Rooney II said earlier this week. “They, along with an improving offensive line, can be the foundation of success going forward.
Smith’s teams also have ranked second once and third twice in total rushing yards. Last season, the Falcons were ninth overall in the NFL in rushing yards per game.
Perhaps that comes from working under the head coaches under which he has toiled.
And they are names that should be familiar to all – especially Steelers fans.
After that, Smith’s track record in the NFL has a distinct Steelers feel to it, as he’s worked for former Steelers assistant coaches Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Mularkey, as well as former Steelers player Mike Vrabel.
Smith came up through the Tennessee Titans organization, joining the team in 2011 under Munchak as a defensive quality control coach. He shifted over to the offensive side of things in 2012, again as quality control coach before becoming offensive line/tight ends assistant in 2013.
Munchak was fired in 2013 and replaced by Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt kept Smith as assistant tight ends coach, and when he was replaced in 2015 by Mularkey, Mularkey elevated Smith to tight ends coach.
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