Want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers get weird with Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator? They certainly have the opportunity to do just that with Justin Fields and a whole slew of other offensive players. With all the talk of a Fields package, to the point that people have referred to him as a ‘Slash-role,’ it certainly brings into question the team’s exact plans for Fields if he is not the starter over Russell Wilson.
According to Jeremy Fowler, multiple NFL coaches expect the Steelers to ‘get weird’ in the red zone with their use of Fields. Teams do not expect the cookie-cutter plays that Smith has put on film there, but instead, something that fully allows the offense to utilize Fields’ capabilities as a runner.
“I’ve talked to multiple teams now who expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to get a little weird at the goal line with Justin Fields, maybe have a package or two for him ready to go where he can be a runner or a thrower out of the shotgun,” Fowler said during SportsCenter. “Remember, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, when he was with the Tennessee Titans, used Derrick Henry in that way as a runner and thrower out of the shotgun, So, Fields with his quarterback background can certainly handle that.”
Credit to Fields for making himself such a dynamic player on the ground. Wilson endorsed the idea of Fields having a package if he starts, stating that Fields would ‘strike fear’ into opposing defenses. And that is hard to argue, especially as a physical runner on the goal line.
The Steeles were 25th in red zone offense a year ago. Not to be outdone, Smith’s Falcons were 30th overall. However, with a weapon like Fields at his disposal that opens up the quarterback run game, the team could see a sharp increase in efficiency. For how the Steelers plan to play, they will need Justin Fields and the rest of the offense to be efficient in the red zone if they want to compete with the teams in the AFC North.
