Steelers' Arthur Smith Makes Controversial Statement About Poor Running Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Arthur Smith to be their offensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 NFL season. After his first year, Smith didn’t do an incredible job, but there was enough progress for some fans to feel a spark of optimism, believing that with more time, he could fully implement his system and elevate the offense. The Steelers’ offense showed flashes of creativity and adaptability, particularly in short-yardage situations and play-action passes, hinting that Smith’s approach could eventually pay dividends. However, lingering inconsistencies and a lack of explosive plays left some supporters skeptical about whether the offense could reach its full potential in the near term.

Now in year two, through three games, Smith’s offense has shown noticeable improvement, but still struggles with consistency. The passing game has looked sharper at times, and the offensive line has held up better, giving quarterbacks more time to make reads. Yet, the offense still sputters in critical moments, and there are lingering questions about whether Smith’s schemes can sustain success against stronger defenses. 

One area of particular concern has been the running game, which has failed to reach the level of dominance the Steelers hoped for. Despite having talented backs in, the rushing attack has struggled to gain momentum and establish itself as a reliable weapon. Smith recently spoke to members of the Pittsburgh media to offer his explanation for the current state of the running game. He acknowledged that while the team has the talent, several factors have limited production. 

"When it's the run game, I believe we had three possessions in the first half," Smith told reporters on Thursday. "The first two got 14 points, got in a rhythm. Then we missed that third down, and then they had that long drive, I believe, right? Then we got the interception and took a knee. So, it wasn't a lot of possessions."

Smith explained that one of the main issues slowing the running game was the lack of first half possessions. 

These limited opportunities prevented the offense from establishing any rhythm in the mind of Smith.

"I think even some of the runs we didn't hit, if you just look at the combination blocks, that's what's exciting," Smith said. "We had a run that, I think, that bounced, those are the things you've got to work on. At the point of attack, Troy [Fautanu] and Mason [McCormick], that's about as good of a duo blocking you'll see. We've just got to continue to keep working. Obviously, in the third quarter, we stalled out. Then we had the penalties, and we were just off track. Then in the fourth quarter, we did run the ball late. That last drive, we chewed up a lot of the clock. You don't want to give up on it just because you stall out in the third quarter. So, we weren't just an obvious one-dimensional offense."

Steelers' Arthur Smith Very Optimistic About This Running Game

Smith is far from discouraged about the running game, even as Kaleb Johnson’s role looks likely to be very limited moving forward. Jaylen Warren has performed well in both the passing and rushing attack, looking solid to start the season, while Kenneth Gainwell has also earned a significant role. 

Smith believes he has the talent and the offensive line to succeed and remains very optimistic about the running game getting going sooner rather than later. Steelers fans are very eager to see that transpire in Dublin for Week 4.

What do you make of Arthur Smith's comments about the current state of the Steelers' running game? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.

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