The Pittsburgh Steelers have targeted 11 different receivers in the past two weeks, with at least nine per game. That is a feature of their offensive system under OC Arthur Smith, not a bug. The fact that it suits QB Russell Wilson’s purview is merely an added bonus. And now with star WR George Pickens ailing, that group approach will come in handy.
“I think it improves morale”, Smith said, via team-provided transcript, about the Steelers’ diverse-target approach in the passing game. “A lot of guys don’t take for it granted. When you put installs in, human behavior, everybody feels like they’ve got a chance”.
In other words, the Steelers earn buy-in from their players because they understand they are contributing. And they are contributing in ways that not only matter but also yield rewards. Arthur Smith carried over this philosophy from prior offenses, as attested to by guys like MyCole Pruitt.
On the season, the Steelers have targeted 14 different players on offense, with James Pierre on special teams making 15. Under Arthur Smith, they have targeted eight players 10-plus times, and seven have 100-plus receiving yards. While George Pickens is the only one over 500 yards, Pat Freiermuth will soon join him. At 387 yards, Calvin Austin III could also hit 500 by year’s end. Both RBs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, are hovering around the 250-yard mark, as is WR Van Jefferson. And Darnell Washington is closing in on 200 yards himself.
“I think it opens a lot of things. That’s what you want”. Smith said of the Steelers targeting so many different players. “It helps. It helps for a lot of different reasons. One, you’re not just playing ’90s ISO basketball, lock in to make a W, cloud to a certain guy. It opens up things”.
Arthur Smith acknowledged that in just about any offense, you will have certain players who dominate target shares, and we have seen that historically in his offenses prior to joining the Steelers. Pickens is that dominant target this year, with 40 more targets than anybody else. But they have also done a good job of sharing the wealth.
With Pickens unlikely to play this week, and perhaps the next few weeks, the Steelers will have to lean into the pack. It worked enough last week, with Mike Williams, Van Jefferson, and others stepping up. They didn’t have to do too much against the Browns. And Arthur Smith knows the bigger challenges lie ahead.
Up next for the Steelers is the Philadelphia Eagles, of course, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. That 11-day gauntlet is the jewel in the crown of the NFL’s schedule-making acumen this year. Can Smith and his ragtag band of misfits step up to the plate against the highest level of competition?
