Above all else, the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator for two reasons. For one thing, he had the experience their last two coordinators lacked, particularly Matt Canada, his direct predecessor. Moreover, he fits the identity the Steelers want to enforce as a physical team, particularly on the ground.
From their eighth game on, the Steelers were among the most prolific and successful rushing teams last season. They fell just three attempts short of a league-high 326 rushes in that span but ranked higher in yards per carry than the two teams ahead of them.