The Pittsburgh Steelers are still working through many new elements on offense, as offensive coordinator Arthur Smith continues to familiarize himself with his personnel and surroundings. As a result, the quarterbacks, including Justin Fields, are operating with some restrictions for the time being.
The extent of freedom Smith would allow Fields or Russell Wilson remained unclear until Thursday when Fields provided insight into how much control he has at the line of scrimmage. Fields explained that while he can adjust routes and calls on pass plays based on coverages, he is more limited on run plays, opting not to change those.
“It really depends on the play call,” Fields said Thursday. “But if we have a run play called, we’re sticking with that. Our offense doesn’t operate like that. I trust Arthur completely to put us in the right position at the right time.”
This doesn’t mean Fields is without options when faced with an unfavorable defensive look. He and Smith have established certain predetermined cues, where they can switch to a second play in their sequence.
While Fields can make adjustments, Smith largely directs his level of freedom and dictates what areas they aim to exploit, which is typical for quarterbacks who have yet to reach franchise status.
“There are plays where I can check to something else based on a different coverage or look, but for most of our run plays, we have those ‘can’ options depending on the defensive setup,” Fields explained.
It’s clear that Fields and Smith already have this system in place. Fields has been setting protections independently, and Smith’s trust in his quarterback is growing, likely leading to increased autonomy in the future.
