Persevering with the sequence, studying about new Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith, I wished to dive deeper into an vital facet of profitable offenses – explosive performs. In a latest article, I examined explosive and unfavourable play charges for Smith and the Steelers. Of these groups, Smith had the one above the imply outcomes since 2019 as OC in Tennessee (2019-2020).
With that amount context outlining, at present I wished to take a look at and supply information on how explosive performs impacted landing drives. In different phrases, what proportion of explosive performs resulted in a landing drive (explosive play landing drive fee). I additionally wished to incorporate the speed of explosive performs that have been touchdowns (explosive play landing fee) so as to add context to what level within the drive the large performs got here on common.
Listed here are the outcomes:
A number of vital information right here. First, not solely have been the Titans above common in amount as I acknowledged within the opening, they landed on the highest proper of the chart in these information factors as effectively.
In 2020, Smith’s second season as Tennessee’s OC, they posted a very robust 67.19 explosive play landing drive fee that ranked tenth-most of any offense since 2019 (160 qualifying groups). So, explosive performs have been extraordinarily impactful on their scoring drives that season. Their 18.75 explosive play landing fee was additionally robust, however landed decrease as compared at forty sixth.
The 2019 season featured a greater 22.22 explosive play landing fee, rating seventeenth within the timeframe, and 57.72-percent of their landing drives included an explosive play (thirty third). Each seasons featured robust outcomes with Smith at OC, and hopefully a return to that job title will bode effectively to his time in Pittsburgh.
Taking a look at Smith’s as a head coach with Atlanta, we see poorer outcomes. Many components go into this, corresponding to crew expertise and job obligations to call just a few, however unlucky nonetheless.
This was notably true for the 2021 and 2022 Falcons. The previous was Smith’s first season as head coach, with a 43.48 explosive play landing drive fee and 6.52 explosive play landing fee. Each have been within the bottom-20 among the many 160 qualifiers, particularly the latter at seventh worst.
That was additionally a problem in 2022, with a 7.41 explosive play landing fee that landed one rank greater, together with a 42.59 explosive play landing drive fee that was additionally bottom-20 within the timeframe. Polar ends of the spectrum for Smith in Tennessee and Atlanta.
A optimistic latest development in 2023 for Atlanta and Smith was an enchancment in explosive play landing fee with a 15.79 quantity. That landed nearly on the imply amongst qualifiers although, emphasizing an total difficulty in his three seasons at Atlanta. This included a third-straight beneath the imply explosive play landing drive fee, however that 45.61 outcome was a crew greatest since 2021.
Right here is how all of Smith’s teaching stops have panned out:
TEN19: 72 explosive performs (T-Twenty sixth), 59.72 explosive play TD drive fee (thirty third), 22.22 explosive play TD fee (seventeenth).
TEN20: 64 explosive performs (T-Seventieth), 67.19 explosive play TD drive fee (tenth), 18.75 explosive play TD fee (forty sixth).
ATL21: 46 explosive performs (T-137th), 43.48 explosive play TD drive fee (143rd), 6.52 explosive play TD fee (154th).
ATL22: 54 explosive performs (T-108th), 42.59 explosive play TD drive fee (146th), 7.41 explosive play TD fee (a hundred and fifty fifth).
ATL23: 57 explosive performs (T-96th), 45.61 explosive play TD drive fee (128th), 15.79 explosive play TD fee (T-Seventy fifth).
So, the hope is for Smith to rekindle his Tennessee days, particularly contemplating the affect it had for these successful groups, in comparison with Atlanta’s dropping information every season. Explosive performs matter.
The visible additionally emphasizes how Pittsburgh has fared, with explosive play points notably the final three seasons, which seemingly doesn’t come as a shock.
Listed here are the Steelers numbers since 2019:
PIT19: 46 explosive performs (T-137th), 50.00 explosive play TD drive fee (T-One hundred and first), 23.91 explosive play TD fee (tenth).
PIT20: 58 explosive performs (T-Ninetieth), 58.62 explosive play TD drive fee (forty fourth), 24.14 explosive play TD fee (ninth).
PIT21: 50 explosive performs (T-124th), 48.00 explosive play TD drive fee (T-116th), 12.00 explosive play TD fee (T-126th).
PIT22: 52 explosive performs (T-116th), 36.54 explosive play TD drive fee (a hundred and fifty fifth), 3.85 explosive play TD fee (useless final).
PIT23: 55 explosive performs (T-One hundred and fifth), 36.36 explosive play TD drive fee (156th), 16.36 explosive play TD fee (Sixty fifth).
We will clearly see the final three years have been largely abysmal with many ranks within the lots of. One sliver of sunshine got here final season, with a Sixty fifth-rank in explosive play landing fee, after rating useless final in that stat in 2022. In 2020, Pittsburgh had their greatest marks in all the information, considerably within the charges total, together with their most such performs.
The latter was nonetheless beneath common, and re-emphasizes how the explosive play has lacked for a while in Pittsburgh in comparison with the remainder of the NFL. 2019 was a bit shocking as effectively, rating within the high ten in explosive play landing fee, however the anticipated half was it being on their lowest variety of explosive performs in an damage riddled season at quarterback.
So, like a number of of my different Smith research, his 2019 and 2020 Titans had one of the best ends in high quality and amount. The pinnacle coach experiment in Atlanta was a a lot completely different story, for the more severe total. They did positively development in 2023, encouragingly, notably in explosive touchdowns.
An analogous query and hope all through the sequence resurfaces: Will Smith find a way lead a 2024 Pittsburgh offense to outcomes nearer to his Tennessee days the place he held the identical title (offensive coordinator), or will explosive performs stay a problem for longer in Pittsburgh? Solely time will inform.
