Steelers Seek Offensive Balance with Aaron Rodgers
In the world of American football, even marriages require commitment. The Pittsburgh Steelers, under the direction of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, focused on the running game during the 2024 season, recording the fourth-highest number of rushing attempts in the league. On the other hand, the new Steelers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who recently got married, took a different approach in his previous stint with the Jets, where he attempted the second-most passes during the same period. Smith, however, downplayed concerns about the combination of these two seemingly distinct offensive philosophies, now that both coexist in Pittsburgh.Although the Steelers leaned on the running game, they weren’t especially efficient. The team averaged just 4.1 yards per carry, tied for 26th in the league last season. The Jets’ offense averaged 4.3 yards per carry, but they ran the ball 170 fewer times. Part of this, of course, is dictated by the circumstances of the game, and the Jets often played from behind during the 2024 season. But during his time in Green Bay, Rodgers’ offenses also relied on passing plays. Smith expressed his confidence in adapting his offense to this year’s roster.You would like to be more balanced. You don’t want to be predictable in how you attack the defense, what you think their strengths and weaknesses are. That’s the game that’s played every Sunday… We didn’t bring Aaron here – and we signed DK [Metcalf] for all that money – to run the wishbone formation. So, you know, you try to play to your team’s strengths.
Arthur Smith
In addition to adapting his scheme to Rodgers, the offensive coordinator will also have the task of deciding how much freedom Rodgers will have to change play calls at the line of scrimmage. The quarterback’s ability to do that in Smith’s offense last season was a point of discussion. Smith, however, disputed that narrative. Rodgers, having worked with different coaches in his previous stops, expressed his desire to maintain the ability to adjust calls as needed. However, in his first press conference with the media on Tuesday, the quarterback was reluctant to answer a question about the possibility of being able to make play changes on Smith’s offense. Rodgers responded to the question: “I don’t understand that last term, taking control when he sees fit. I’ve made some two-minute calls over the years. But the idea that I somehow need to, or have spent most of my career playing outside of an offensive system, is simply not correct. I will learn the offense, and Arthur and I will talk a lot this summer. If there are things I like that I would like to see in the offense, Arthur, I’m sure, will put them in. He knows how to call a game. I know how to put us in the right place according to what is called. Sometimes two or three plays are called in the huddle. My job is to put us in the right play.”Our job, especially as a coach, is to play to your players’ strengths. We have our core things that don’t change, but whether you lean towards certain schemes, year after year, you adapt again to the personnel you have. That’s what we try to do, ultimately, to win games and prepare players for success.
Arthur Smith
