There are many things when it comes to NFL football that are placed on the foot of coaches that really is a combination of many things. Good players will struggle in executing a bad game plan. A great game plan rarely overcomes insufficient effort and execution on the field. It’s a very symbiotic relationship between coaches and players.

With this in mind, there are many possibilities as to the first reaction fans would think when I say “the most important thing Arthur Smith needs to do for the Steelers offense.” I’m sure the most knee-jerk answers would be things such as scoring points, moving the football, and controlling the clock. While those are things that are important, they’re not something that Smith himself has direct and complete control over. That also involves execution by the players. But there is something that will fall directly at the foot of the offensive coordinator that I’m excited to see what Arthur Smith can do for the 2024 NFL season…

Create mismatches.

By using the combination of personnel, formations, along with pre-snap motion, I want to see the Steelers mismatches in both the running and passing game which I’ve seen schemed against them over the years. I want to see Steelers breaking a run free because they had the advantage in a specific part of the field. I want to see the Steelers top wide receiver being covered by a linebacker. These are all things that can occur when specifically trying to create a matchup which the team feels will work to their advantage.

For those who think they’ve already seen Arthur Smith’s attempt to do this for three games, I personally believe you are very mistaken. The Steelers were not putting things out there on tape for their opponents to see in order to try to create the counter move for them to attempt. Just looking at the Steelers offense during the preseason and comparing it to the reports coming out of training camp about the amount of pre-snap movement, it doesn’t seem the Steelers were anywhere close to doing in August games what they plan on doing in the regular season.

Part of the reason I’m looking for Arthur Smith to create mismatches is because it’s not something I feel the Steelers have been able to do in recent years. There were a few times, mainly in the final years of Ben Rothlisberger‘s career, where different person packages were used in nontraditional ways to create a situation where the Steelers picked up a significant amount of yards.

But this has not often been the case for the last several years. Steelers fans will probably not soon forget the non-reaction of the offensive coordinator when the quarterback changed the play at the line of scrimmage to take advantage of a specific matchup and score the game-winning touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. It almost felt as if taking advantage of a specific matchup was taboo in the offense. I’m sure it was not to that degree, but it should be the main goal of the offensive coordinator to put his players in the best position to succeed.

The reason I am hopeful for this for 2024 comes down to one thing during a random day at training camp for the Steelers. I can’t remember if it was a two minute drill or just 11-on-11, but the Steelers scored a touchdown when, I do believe it was Justin Fields but could be mistaken, hit George Pickens for about a 7-yard touchdown pass over the middle. Why was this play significant? The Steelers were running a bunch formation to their right side and managed to get George Pickens matched up against linebacker Patrick Queen.

For someone focusing on the Steelers defense, that would have to be frustrating seeing the Steelers number one receiving threat was being covered by a linebacker. A lot of my most frustrating memories of Steelers giving up significant plays were where something like this happened. But rather than focus on that side of the ball, it was great to see the Steelers offense put their players in a situation to get a mismatch of this magnitude.

Whether or not Smith will be able to do this with the Steelers current roster is something that is up for debate. Many Steelers fans are frustrated with the Steelers wide receiver situation as they felt the Steelers put all their eggs in one which did not occur. Exactly how all that went down when it came to other options for the Steelers will likely never be known for sure. But as we sit here just a week away from the Steelers first regular season game, their roster is what it is. Now it’s time to get to work with the pieces the Steelers have.

If you’re looking for one thing in particular the Steelers offensive coordinator can do this season, look and see if the Steelers are getting some good mismatches in given situations. While it’s not always possible to do so, and sometimes it comes down to other scheming in order to open things up, it is something which can sometimes casually be overlooked throughout a game.

Are the Steelers finding the defensive weakness and exploiting it? Are they creating situations where a weaker defensive unit is on the field for what they are looking to do? These are things that occur because the offensive coordinator has created the game plan to put the offensive players in the best situation.

At that point, it’s up to the players to execute on the field.