The resume of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith sends some combined indicators. His time as the top coach of the Atlanta Falcons left so much to be desired, however he engineered one of many high offenses within the league because the coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. One of many large components of his success in Tennessee was the revival of QB Ryan Tannehill’s profession.
Tannehill joined the brand new Scoop Metropolis podcast hosted by Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel of The Athletic, and was requested about his relationship with Smith.
“Arthur’s nice, man. I actually loved my time with him as a coordinator,” Tannehill stated. “We actually had a detailed relationship…He pushed me in a good way. He had simply the suitable contact of push with out being excessive the place it turned a damaging factor. Pushed me to attempt unconventional issues with the play actions and issues that I hadn’t actually achieved earlier than. It was type of new to me, lots of the stuff we have been doing, and pushed me to only bounce it in and provides it a attempt. So I did and it was working, and so I simply saved trusting him and saved leaning into it.”
The best way that Tannehill’s profession circled underneath Smith, it’s no shock that there was a excessive degree of belief and a superb relationship between the 2. With the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill completed his last season there in 2018 with a 5.29 adjusted web yards per passing try. For comparability, that’s the identical quantity that Kenny Pickett was in a position to muster in 2023 with the Steelers. He made an enormous leap in 2019 underneath Smith to an 8.52 ANY/A. Coincidentally, Justin Fields additionally posted that very same 5.29 ANY/A in his final season with the Chicago Bears.
He solely began 10 video games that season, however nonetheless had 201 completions for two,742 yards and 22 touchdowns to only six interceptions. His completion share was a powerful 70.3.
That propelled him to his first and solely Professional Bowl choice and profitable the AP Comeback Participant of the Yr. They made all of it the way in which to the AFC Championship recreation in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, however they knocked off the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens alongside the way in which.
When Smith was employed, we began to look at his previous offenses and what schemes and performs they want to run. If the primary day of coaching camp observe is any indication, his offense seems to be as marketed. A number of 12 and 13 personnel, full again utilization, and tight ends being featured within the passing recreation. The play-action passing must be one other welcomed addition to the offense in Pittsburgh.
Whatever the scheme he brings, it seems like he did a superb job of getting Tannehill and the remainder of the Titans offense to purchase into his philosophy behind the scheme that he used. A number of gamers praised how element oriented Smith was all through the spring practices and that he would clarify the “why” behind his ideas. Matt Canada, who was up within the press field throughout video games, didn’t seem to have that very same reward as a communicator and chief of the offense.
Smith now has two cell quarterbacks that he can work with and lots of items in place to run an identical offense to the profitable ones he had in Tennessee. There is perhaps a studying curve with lots of new ideas, but when Tannehill was in a position to rapidly decide it up, then certainly Wilson will be capable to do the identical.
