Kovacevic: Steelers Offensive Players May Lack The Intelligence Or Talent To Pull Off A Modern Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly hired Arthur Smith to be their new offensive coordinator and when news broke, the reviews from fans were extremely mixed. The majority of fans had voiced that they wanted somebody from outside of the organization and Head Coach Mike Tomlin did just that. Smith was most recently the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he had three subpar seasons. However, according to many comments across social media, it was less about having an outsider, and more about having one of the new up-and-coming, super cerebral coaches; like a Mike McDaniel-type. But that begs the question, do the Steelers have the personnel to run the kind of offense that McDaniel does? One former player doesn't think so. 

Former Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster now co-hosts a podcast on DK Pittsburgh Sports. The show, which is called The Ramon Foster Show, features Foster and his co-host reporter Dejan Kovacevic. Foster also has ties to the Tennessee Titans, as does Smith. Before he was hired in Atlanta, Smith was the very successful offensive coordinator down in Nashville, TN.

On a recent episode of his show, Foster spoke up in support of Smith. While things did not go well for him in Atlanta, he noted that some coaches aren't meant to be head coaches, including Steelers legend Dick LeBeau. Foster also said that Smith showed immense talent to be able to land a job that only 32 people a year get to have. 

Steelers Players May Not Have The Qualities Needed To Run A "Shanahan Offense" 

Smith, who is 41, was truly a mastermind of the Titans' offense during 2019 and 2020. He started with the Titans in 2011 as a defensive quality control coach and worked his way up in the organization. According to Foster, being able to move up like this through the ranks is no easy feat. 

While in Tennessee, Smith was able to take a group of players with various ability levels and turn them into something special. When you compare the personnel of a successful offense off that Kyle Shanahan coaching tree to the personnel in Pittsburgh, or in the offense Smith ran in Tennessee, it is a night-and-day comparison.   

"They wanted some egghead brainiac out of the 49ers system. If it was someone who was 27 years old, who was the resident genius of all football geniuses and an up-and-coming this and that, and was attached to Kyle Shanahan, you would have absolute ecstasy. I question whether or not that individual would have been able to come into Pittsburgh, and boy this isn't going to be popular with some people, and look at this receiving core specifically and say, 'Oh yeah, let's go ahead and run some super sophisticated, crazy, wild cerebral scheme," said Kovacevic.

Foster agreed with this. The offense in Pittsburgh is closer to the one in Tennessee than it is to the one the San Francisco 49ers have. While Smith was in Tennessee, he was able to help turn around the career of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill was struggling to find his footing, a lot like what we are seeing from Kenny Pickett. Tannehill ultimately won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2019 after working with Smith.  

"Pittsburgh is fit for a certain type of offensive coordinator," said Foster. "We don't have the personnel, I'm sorry to tell y'all to run a Shanahan-style offense. Think about when Todd Haley, another outsider came. Remember he was going to cater to and call plays that could fit the type of players that you have. Shanahan's teams are guys that you have to break down the entire building, you can't just walk in a building and say we're running this style offense."

According to Foster, this is what gets many coaches fired. They are brought in to run an offense that the team does not have the people they need. It takes time to build up an offense like that. He sees the Smith hire as smart because he fits with Pittsburgh and knows how to operate in the AFC North. Foster said he will run the ball, use play-action, and better utilize the team's tight ends. This allows the quarterback to be a "compliment," rather than the sole focus, so that Pickett can hopefully develop.   

The use of play-action will hopefully allow the talent the Steelers have at wide receiver to develop alongside their quarterback. It has been hard to piece together where exactly the dysfunction lies. It is easy to put all the blame on former Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada and his subpar play-calling, but it is also fair to say that Pickett didn't always read the field well, missing open receivers and adding to their frustration. However, there were also weaknesses with the receiving core. Their attitude and maturity came into question on multiple occasions. Smith can hopefully bring the discipline and cohesion the offense needs to get on track.  

Foster is correct about what Smith did with the Titans. He used the play-action pass game, and that brought Tannehill back to life. Smith also got big things out of the Titans' star running back, Derrick Henry. The Steelers have been utilizing a dual running back system with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Henry was exceptional running with Smith at the helm. During the 2019-2020 seasons, he had 1,540 and 2,027 yards respectively. He led the league in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns in both years. 

The Steelers' running game just started to take off during the 2023 season and Foster expects Harris to see production closer to Henry's. Foster had maintained all along that the two University of Alabama products are closer in style than people think.