The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new offensive scheme under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in 2024, and the heavy lifting on getting that scheme installed will begin with the first practice of Organized Team Activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Being an improvement on the previous unit run by Matt Canada will not be a tall task. The Steelers finished 28th in scoring in 2023, after finishing 21st and 26th in Canada’s first two seasons.
But with remaining uncertainty about the quality of the team’s quarterback play with Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields under center, and a receivers room nearly universally believed to be lacking in quality playmakers, will Smith’s scheme alone be able to bring the Steelers back toward the top of the NFL in offense?
Smith did just that as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, leading that 2020 squad, with Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and not much else around them, to 491 points — fourth in the league in scoring. The last three years in Atlanta did not go as well for Smith, though, and he’s talked openly about needing to reinvent himself as he moves along in his career.
Alan Saunders joined Chris Carter on the Locked On Podcast to discuss how Smith’s scheme could fit with the Steelers offense. Plus, they answered caller questions about whether wide receiver or cornerback is the bigger need right now, and which one would be better-suited to a short-term replacement. The guys also talked about Omar Khan’s developing reputation as a deal-maker.
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