Pittsburgh Steelers Believed to Be Interested in Fantasy Football’s Worst Nightmare for OC
As the Pittsburgh Steelers search for their next offensive coordinator, they appear to be casting a wide net.
The top favorite for the job is an experienced name like Darrell Bevell, but the team has asked to meet with Rams QB coach Zach Robinson and is expected to meet with Kliff Kingsbury. Apparently one of the names fantasy football fans don’t care about is getting attention.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 23, at least seven teams have expressed strong interest in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith for the offensive coordinator position, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Andrew Filliponi of 93.7 The Fan pointed out that there are only eight offensive coordinator jobs open for the X, meaning the Steelers are one of those teams.
Smith’s inability to bring young, highly-drafted talent to the Falcons from 2021 to 2023 could raise concerns among team fans given his services. There are a lot of weapons abandoned in Atlanta under the command of Arthur Smith.
There may not be a coach in the league that fantasy football players have been angrier over the past three seasons than Smith.
Hopes were high for Smith after he helped turn veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill into a Pro Bowler for the Titans. The Falcons’ offense has been poor in his three seasons with the team. Even though the front office continued to try to give him areas for improvement on that side of the ball.
Matt Ryan and star wide receiver Calvin Ridley joined the team when he took over as head coach. They then added Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick in Smith’s first draft.
Ridley only played in five games that year, but Pitts had a 1,000-yard season as a rookie. But Atlanta couldn’t figure out how to use him in the red zone, so he recorded an interception as a rookie.
The team finished the season 26th in points. The following year, in 2022, the Falcons lost Ridley to suspension, but instead added another talented receiver, making Drake London the first receiver off the board (eighth overall pick) in the 2022 draft.
In his first year, the Falcons’ two young stars combined for 100 catches and 1,222 yards. The team’s biggest strength was the running game. Tyler Allgeier had a 1,000-yard season as a rookie. Cordarrelle Patterson had 695 yards and the Falcons were starting to look like Smith’s Titans.
The offense is even better, ranking 15th in scoring in 2022. In 2023, the franchise made a clear move for coach Derrick Henry, who once rushed for 2,000 yards in a season, and began making the running game a bigger part of the team’s identity.
They used premium picks on offensive skill position players in three straight drafts when they selected Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick to give Smith a real point. Robinson had 214 carries as a rookie in 2023. Four more than Allgaier, who was drafted in the fifth round last season. Robinson averaged 57.4 rushing yards per game.
In a two-point Week 15 loss to the lowly Panthers, Robinson had just seven carries. In his second season, London conceded seven fewer goals and went four games without conceding two or fewer goals, while Fitz averaged more than five goals a game.
The Falcons fell to 26th in scoring, and fantasy football players everywhere felt they were abusing the league’s best prospects. London has yet to have a season as a top 30 wide receiver. Pitts has been ranked in the top 12 all year. How will Arthur Smith fit in with the Steelers?
Now that we’ve gotten the negative out of Smith’s time with the Titans, let’s talk about how he fits with the Steelers.
Hiring Smith won’t be good for George Pickens’ stat calculations and probably won’t solve Kenny Pickett. But he can help define the identity of the criminal. What’s the best way to get points if you can’t trust your quarterback? Run the ball as far as you can. Smith did it in Tennessee and it worked for the Titans.
Naji Harris is no Derrick Henry, but that doesn’t matter. Steelers T.J. One of the best defensive players in the league. Watts and solid particles around them. They could make it a priority to further develop their defense in the draft and free agency. Pickett is currently considered the worst starter in the AFC North between Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson. If he remains the team’s starter in 2024, he may find another way to win. Can run consistently and play solid defense. Smith is the coordinator who wants to answer that question. Smith is a great fit if the Steelers intend to lead the team in a very specific, deep direction, but he may be better than other candidates.
