Arthur Smith is already making excuses for Steelers lackluster QB play

The Pittsburgh Steelers have high expectations for the 2024 season after revamping their offense. After an abysmal performance by the unit last season, general manager Omar Khan made aggressive moves to retool the offense this offseason.

The Steelers spent three of their first five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft on offensive linemen, and two of the rookies are expected to start immediately. The most significant upgrades came at the quarterback position. The Steelers signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in free agency and acquired quarterback Justin Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears. 

Pittsburgh also hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator with hopes that his run-oriented system could resurrect the team’s dormant attack.

So far, Smith’s system has not helped bring out the best in Wilson or Fields. Both quarterbacks have been locked in a competition for the starting role, but neither has managed to impress during the preseason. 

Arthur Smith dismisses concerns about offensive struggles

Smith acknowledged the struggles when he spoke with reporters on Tuesday, but he also dismissed any panic. Instead, he chalked up the poor performance as a result of preseason football.

"Preseason can distort reality, good or bad," Smith said. "We've all seen it. That's not making excuses. ... That's not our standard. That's not acceptable, but at the same time, would rather go through that now than have that happen Week 1. ... We've got to get out of our own way." 

When someone says they aren’t making excuses, they’re probably in the middle of making an excuse.

While there is validity to Smith’s claim about the preseason distorting reality, two veteran quarterbacks shouldn’t be struggling this much — especially when they’re trying to win the starting job.

Fields was held scoreless in his debut performance during the Steelers’ preseason opener. The following week, he generated as many fumbles as points. Fields played five series and led the Steelers to just three points while sharing responsibility for three fumbles.

Wilson missed the preseason opener with a calf injury, but he made his debut in the second preseason game and played five series with the starting unit. Wilson failed to pick up a first down until the second quarter.

Through two preseason games, the Steelers started have struggled to move the ball. The first-team offense has generated just 124 yards and six first downs. The longest run was nine yards and the longest completion was 20 yards, according to Greg Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Perhaps most concerning of all, Wilson and Fields have been sacked a combined five times. 

Both quarterbacks have a propensity to get sacked by holding onto the ball too long. Since 2022, Wilson has been sacked 100 times and Fields has been sacked 99 times. No other quarterback was sacked more than 80 times in that span. 

The blame can’t be placed entirely on the offensive line, either. Among quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts in 2023, Fields had the slowest average time to throw (3.23 seconds) and Wilson had the second-slowest (3.06 seconds), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. 

Both quarterbacks will have one last chance to prove themselves. The Steelers will close out the preseason against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday.