Under OC Arthur Smith, Steelers set to prove strong running game is key to NFL success

Given team president Art Rooney’s II desire for the Pittsburgh Steelers to feature a strong running game, it’s not surprising that he signed off on coach Mike Tomlin hiring Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator early last week.

Smith’s tenure calling the plays in Tennessee, when he relied on bell cow running back Derrick Henry to amass one of the NFL’s top offenses, undoubtedly came into play when the Steelers moved quickly to hire him. The Steelers extended an offer to Smith two days after he was the third candidate to be interviewed for the position formerly held by Matt Canada.

Last Monday, the day after Rooney took part in the interview process and the day before Smith received his contract offer, the Steelers’ president spoke of building on the foundation established by running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Last season, they became the fourth set of teammates in franchise history to each amass 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same year.

“I think we have two high-performing running backs in Najee and Jaylen,” Rooney said. “They, along with an improving offensive line, can be the foundation of success going forward. Certainly, some positives there, that as the season wore on, I think you saw what they can be.”

Rooney is entering his third decade as team president, and he’s been around the franchise long enough to realize the tradition and value the running back position holds. He was in his 20s when Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier became the only set of teammates in franchise history to exceed 1,000 yards rushing in a season. And he was a vice president when the Steelers swung the trade that brought Jerome Bettis to the organization in 1996.

He saw Willie Parker reel off a 75-yard touchdown run to help the Steelers win Super Bowl XL. He also has witnessed the flip side: Le’Veon Bell putting up flashy numbers in 2016 only for an injury in the AFC championship game contribute to the first of five consecutive postseason losses.

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When the Steelers struggled to run the ball after Bell’s departure, finishing last in rushing in 2020, Rooney said it was a sight he never wanted to see again. That led to the Steelers drafting Najee Harris in the first round in 2021 and, armed with a rebuilt offense line, improve to No. 16 in rushing two years later.

The Steelers were No. 13 this past season, averaging 118.2 yards per game on the ground.

“It’s certainly one of the things you could say I feel better about now than I did a year or even two years ago,” Rooney said. “I really feel good about having a kind of two-headed monster at running back, two different styles of running back — both very capable. I think the right offensive line can provide a real foundation for success going forward.”

The Steelers returned four of five linemen last season and have all five starters under contract for 2024, including first-rounder Broderick Jones, who started much of the year at right tackle after playing on the left side in college.

“I think we need to be better on the offensive line,” Rooney said. “Those guys got better as the season wore on, there’s no denying that. We’ll assess where we are. If there are places we can make improvements, we will.”

Based on what he told the Steelers’ website upon his hire becoming official, Smith is in lockstep with ownership on the franchise’s core values.

“Our offense, we’ve clearly adapted to the strengths of our players, but there is an identity we want to have,” Smith said. “Any offense I’ve been a part of, it’s a physical brand. You want to win the line of scrimmage, but you also want to play to strengths, complete explosive (plays) and have a smart unit.”

For as much as the NFL has transitioned into a pass-first league over the past decade, it still helps to be able to run the ball effectively. Consider that three of the teams competing in last weekend’s conference championship games ranked among the top five in rushing offense: Baltimore (No. 1), San Francisco (No. 3) and Detroit (No. 5). The outlier was the Kansas City Chiefs, who finished No. 19.

Overall, all four conference finalists finished in the top 10 in total yards, and all but Kansas City was in the top five in points scored.

“We have to score points,” Smith told Steelers.com. “You’re going to have those four-point swings and create touchdowns (instead of field goals).”

Smith did that in his final year in Tennessee, when the Titans averaged more than 30 points a game to rank fourth in the NFL.

In Smith’s two seasons as Titans offensive coordinator, Henry led the NFL in rushing each time, amassing 1,540 and 2,027 yards, respectively. Harris, of course, hasn’t become that type of big power back in his three years with the Steelers, but Henry didn’t emerge as a star until his fourth season — in 2019, when Smith took over as offensive coordinator.

Harris has three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, and he and Warren totaled 1,819 rushing yards in 2023.

“I want to be able to keep defenses off balance,” Tomlin said before he began his offensive coordinator search. “I want to utilize all the talent that we have at our disposal. I’m excited about the process and the talent pool out there based on what I’ve seen this far.”

Rooney and Tomlin each said they wanted to bring in a coordinator who could maximize quarterback Kenny Pickett’s talents. That’s where things get murky. In Tennessee, Smith helped veteran Ryan Tannehill have the best two-year stretch of his career. Tannehill had 55 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in that span. Smith doesn’t have that kind of passer on the Steelers roster.

The work he did with Henry and Tannehill helped Smith get the head coaching job in Atlanta — all seven teams with openings that offseason requested to interview him. But the results in those three seasons led to Smith being available for the Steelers to bring aboard.

Smith had three consecutive 7-10 seasons with the Falcons. In 2023, the Falcons finished No. 26 in points, one spot ahead of the Steelers, and No. 17 in total yards.

Although Dave Ragone was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, Smith called the plays on game day. The knock on Smith was his inability to get more out of young quarterback Desmond Ridder and a trio of first-round skill position players: tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson.

Still, the Falcons found a way to have the NFL’s No. 9 rushing offense, one that averaged 127 yards a game. Which surely weighed in Smith’s favor when the Steelers conducted their offensive coordinator search.

“We’re looking forward to having someone come in and take a fresh approach, which can help our young players grow and perform and have our offense perform at a consistently high level,” Rooney said. “I think we have an idea of what we want the Steelers offense to look like. Start with that. We have a certain roster mix that leads to that.”