Tag: Arthur smith

Why Justin Fields is the Steelers’ X-factor heading into Week 12’s TNF

The Justin Fields package helped secure a Week 11 win for the Steelers and could play a major role against Cleveland’s defense in Week 12.

While it can be argued that too much blame is being placed on Russell Wilson’s shoulders for the Steelers’ Week 11 offensive struggles, one key takeaway from Pittsburgh’s offense remains: the ‘Justin Fields package‘ was immaculate.

The Fields rushing package has been teased since the Steelers traded for the former Bears QB, and it finally came to fruition in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers brought Fields in for a QB power play and two QB-RB options that helped seal the Week 11 victory for Pittsburgh. In Week 12, facing a relentless Cleveland pass rush led by 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, the Steelers may be forced to rely on the Fields package as the focal point of the rushing attack.

Fields isn’t just a running QB; he can also sling it deep if the game script calls for it, and this versatility could prove to be Cleveland’s downfall in the upcoming Thursday Night Football game.

Will Steelers OC Arthur Smith utilize both Wilson’s and Fields’ greatest strengths in unison? Between Wilson’s ‘moon ball’ and Fields’ speed, not many defenses in the league can prepare for this offensive tandem.

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Steelers OC reveals plan for QB Justin Fields

The Steelers once again have a package of plays for Justin Fields.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made a huge move when he decided to bench quarterback Justin Fields in favor of Russell Wilson. The offense has come to life with Wilson at quarterback but the team has always left the door open for Fields to play in some special packages.

Up until now, Fields hasn’t gotten any snaps but when offensive coordinator Arthur Smith spoke to the media, he made sure to plant that seed in the heads of the Baltimore Ravens coaches.

As long as the Steelers are playing well, we don’t expect Smith or head coach Mike Tomlin to change a thing.

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What should fans expect from Mike Williams’ Week 10 Steelers debut?

With Mike Williams set to debut in Week 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers face questions about his role and impact amid recent WR trade trends.

What a difference a week makes! Heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye in Week 9, uncertainty surrounded the wide receiver position as a whole. However, GM Omar Khan alleviated these concerns at the November 5 deadline by acquiring WR Mike Williams from the New York Jets.

Fans are now left with a new pair of questions: Will Williams contribute immediately, and if so, what will his impact look like?

If you asked QB Russell Wilson, he might say Williams’ presence will be felt all over the field, as his athletic prowess allows him to do virtually anything. However, OC Arthur Smith is particularly excited about Williams’ potential impact in the run game.

Looking at other similar situations for reference, WR Diontae Johnson, WR Amari Cooper, and former All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins all played limited snap counts in their debuts with new teams—averaging around just 30% of snaps played.

Could Williams follow a similar precedent and be used sparingly while he acclimates to the new offense? Or will his physical traits allow the team to utilize him more extensively in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders?

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Steelers OC Arthur Smith reveals additional weapon for ground game

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new wrinkle to add to the ground game, and his name is Mike Williams.

When Arthur Smith was brought to the Pittsburgh Steelers as the new offensive coordinator, there was a lot of talk about the team returning to their roots as a run-heavy offense.

The Steelers are slowly getting back to it since the threat of Russell Wilson as a passer provides more opportunities to run the ball.

And now, Pittsburgh has a new wrinkle to add to the ground game, and his name is Mike Williams.

“Mike’s a big receiver. He’s made a lot of 50/50 catches,” Smith told the media on Thursday. “Big presence in the run game. We’ll see where it goes. Hopefully, he’s value added.”

According to Pro Football Focus premium stats (subscription), Williams has 1,504 run-blocking snaps in his 10-year career. He’s had minimal success as a runner. Williams’ best season was in 2018, when he ran seven times for 28 yards and a touchdown.

Williams said after his first day of practice on Wednesday, he was utilized often and everywhere. “I had a pretty good day today; I’ve been in quite a bit. I was moving around everywhere. I’m trying to learn as much as possible. You never know what can happen, people move, things change. So, I’m just learning all the positions. I got some reps with Russ, also. So, keep building the rest of the week and see where we are on Sunday.”

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What exactly does Roman Wilson need to prove to Mike Tomlin?

Mike Tomlin stated that ‘moving on’ from Roman Wilson was due to the rookie not showing enough, but what exactly does he need to prove?

When is the last time Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin openly spoke about moving on from a rookie? Roman Wilson and questions about his gameday availability appear to be a thorn in the sides of Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, as both have seemingly alluded to the rookie’s availability as vaguely as humanly possible. 

It was confirmed last week that Wilson’s hamstring injury was not the reason he was held out of Week 7’s contest, but rather that he didn’t prove himself enough to Tomlin. That seems to be the big question: what exactly does the rookie third-rounder need to do? 

Wilson will also miss Week 8’s Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants with the supposed hamstring ‘injury,’ but those who have seen the rookie in practice have stated that Wilson looks like he is the definitive WR2 for the offense. 

In Wilson’s debut game, the rookie was only used on five snaps, with zero targets and zero receptions to show for it.  It is clear that Tomlin is either seeing something that everyone else isn’t, or the rookie wide receiver has ruffled the feathers of his head coach in some way.

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Steelers OC: QB battle was decided by who had the best deep ball

Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith stated that while Justin Fields had a solid deep-ball, Russell Wilson’s amazing deep-ball forced the teams hand.

While the decision to start Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson over Justin Fields in last week’s contest was polarizing, to say the least, Head Coach Mike Tomlin appeared to make the right call. No specific rhyme or reason was given for the decision, other than Tomlin’s desire to ‘win championships.’ 

It confused former players, analysts, and fans, especially since Fields had led the Steelers to an impressive 4-2 record through six games. However, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith shed some light on why the decision to start Wilson over Fields was simpler than people made it out to be. 


It seems Wilson’s talent in throwing his immaculate deep ball, as displayed throughout Week 7’s contest, was a huge reason he got his opportunity to showcase his signal calling in 2024. This ‘greed’ on the offensive side of the ball is much appreciated, as although Fields’ athleticism is impressive, the passing game overall has become an area of concern in recent years for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Pittsburgh ignored their Wilsons in the Week 6 victory

The Steelers have once again ignored their talented Wilsons. The team could benefit from having Russell and Roman Wilson on the field.

It was theorized a few weeks ago that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loyalty to specific players was holding Russell and Roman Wilson back from succeeding. Last week, George Pickens stated that his lack of snaps in Week 5 was a decision made by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith used WR Van Jefferson more often in that game, but where does this leave room for rookie WR Roman Wilson? He finally got his chance to debut in Week 6, yet was only used on five offensive snaps, while receivers Pickens, Jefferson, Austin, and Miller combined for over 126. 

Russell Wilson’s potential being wasted is something fans of the ‘Steel City’ have become accustomed to in recent weeks. QB Justin Fields didn’t outright beat Wilson for the position and hasn’t directly won Pittsburgh a game with his passing, yet Wilson remains the QB2. Fans have mixed reactions to Fields’ performance in Week 6, even though it was statistically his worst game of the season. Hopefully, Pittsburgh will utilize their pair of Wilsons more often moving forward.  

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Steelers fans react to Roman Wilson’s debut: 0 catches with 0 targets

Roman Wilson’s long awaited debut left much to be desired, as he was only given five snaps of offense to participate in.

Roman Wilson made his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, and while his team picked up the win on Sunday, supporters of the rookie third-round wide receiver out of Michigan were left disappointed.

Wilson’s regular season aspirations were put on hold when the rookie wide receiver suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss the entirety of training camp, as well as the Steelers first five games of season.

Head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith hinted that his debut would take place “sooner or later”, but it appears they were leaning towards “sooner”.

Wilson was held without a catch in his regular season debut.  To make matters worse, he also didn’t receive a single target in the Steelers victory over the Raiders.  While holding Wilson to a snap count is understandable, allowing the young receiver to only participate in five offensive snaps is ridiculous.  Frustration from fans of the black and gold is completely understandable, and here are some of the best reactions from Wilson’s lackluster debut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Former Steelers HC appeals to Arthur Smith to open up the offense for Justin Fields

Bill Cowher has advice for Arthur Smith.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are used to seeing a conservative Steelers offense in recent years. This season is no different. But wait, things are different. There’s a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith and a new quarterback in Justin Fields.

Even with these upgrades, the Steelers offense is still stuck in neutral. But this time it feels self-imposed by Smith. He’s got an athlete in Fields and he’s got a freakish athlete in wide receiver George Pickens but seems content trying to grind out a run game that hasn’t been at all effective.

Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was on the pregame show and he implored Smith to open things up for Fields and give him a chance to make some plays.

“Arthur Smith, open this offense up,” Cowher said. “I think give him a chance to start spreading out the field. Go empty, go no-huddle. Use him now and give him a chance to grow as a quarterback.”

Cowher is fully aware of how you go outside of your comfort zone when you have an athletic quarterback. He did something similar with Kordell Stewart so he has some insight that Smith needs to listen to.

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Roman Wilson debut set for Week 6 vs Raiders

The debut fans have been waiting for is finally here! Roman Wilson is active for the first time all season, and will debut in Week 6.

Steelers fans rejoice!  After weeks of questions surrounding the health of rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson and his inevitable return, the dynamic playmaker will make his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6.

It was reported the past couple of weeks that Wilson recorded six practices in full, but still was considered a healthy inactive come gametime for Week’s 4 and 5, much to the chagrin of Steelers fans.

Reporters were obviously bewildered, and asked head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for an explanation.

Tomlin understood the rookie’s desire to get on the field, but stated that “It’s very difficult to get on a moving train”.  Additionally, Smith acknowledged Wilson’s absence from training camp as a potential holdup to his debut.

What will Wilson’s involvement look like in Sunday’s contest?  Will Wilson finally give Pittsburgh the additional playmaker they have been so desperately searching for?  All eyes will be on rookie receiver as the Steelers take on the Raiders in Week 6, on October 13th, at 4:05 PM EST.

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