Steelers' Arthur Smith May Now Take New Trick From Baltimore Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking for ways to innovate and not be so predictable offensively, especially in short-yardage situations. They seem to never have traction in that part of the game, especially when it's 4th and 1. Many teams have tried to imitate the Philadelphia Eagles' tush push play. Some of Steeler Nation has begged Pittsburgh to draw that up, but having a 41-year-old quarterback running that each week may not be the greatest idea. Aaron Rodgers needs to be preserved.

There is still a solution to this dilemma, however, and Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that the Steelers have it ready to go when it's 4th and 1 or less.

"What the Seahawks and Ravens have done, with plenty of overlap on their coaching staffs, is tweak the quarterback sneak to be a tight end sneak," Batko said. "And [Arthur] Smith seems to be intimating that the newer method of the tush-push — not every team has a Jalen Hurts taking snaps from under center — is one the Steelers are intrigued by, too."

In Week 2, the Steelers watched as the Seattle Seahawks successfully ran the tight end sneak, with AJ Barner lining up under center and pushing forward for a two-yard gain. Of course, they got that play from the Baltimore Ravens, who prefer to run that, as opposed to letting Lamar Jackson get dogpiled on. A lot of Seattle's coaching staff comes from Baltimore, including Head Coach Mike McDonald. 

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith has watched how this variant has worked for other teams, so it would not be surprising if he has already tested this out while practicing for Week 3. The Steelers have to find some way to stop being abysmal on short yardage plays. If it takes a tight end lining up under center and barreling his way forward to make that happen, then that's exactly what they will do.

The Steelers even have the perfect player to run this play. "Mount" Darnell Washington is 6'7" and 264 pounds. Good luck to anyone that thinks tackling him is an easy feat. He seems to have gotten over the knee issues that plagued him early in his career, so he could push his massive frame through the trenches to get the one yard that Pittsburgh needs when that situation pops up. 

Steelers Have Other Perfect Players To Make This Play Work

In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Steelers targeted more than just capable offensive linemen. They had a very specific type: wrestlers. College wrestlers Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick were both selected that year and have already shown great contributions to the trenches with their unique background. The Eagles hired a rugby coach to perfect their play, so the Steelers could benefit from wrestling to make this work. 

It's easier said than done, but the play is simple. Washington takes the snap from under center. Instead of going straight forward, he goes to the right a bit and let the wrestlers do their work. The first time, they may try to be tricky with it and line up like a normal shotgun play before having Washington motion from his normal position to directly under center. If that works, then they may be less tricky and line up like that.

The Ravens have seen success with that play when they run it, with Mark Andrews being tough to tackle at 6'5", 250 pounds. Since 2024, all but one of his sneak attempts have been successfully ran for a first down. It's safe to say that they will keep going with that play, as opposed to letting Jackson get potentially hurt. It makes sense that Smith wants to try this himself.

What do you think about the Steelers possibly running the tight end sneak? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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