Arthur Smith Talks Steelers’ Changing Mindset On Fourth Down

The Steelers are one of the most conservative offenses in the NFL this season, tied for the fewest fourth-down attempts. They have only attempted an offensive play on fourth down six times, converting on three. Perhaps the fact that they rank in the bottom 10 in conversion rate is a factor, but nevertheless, they do notice leaguewide trends.

This season, a full 25 teams have at least 10 attempts on fourth down at the midway point. Fourteen teams have at least 14 attempts, and four teams have at least 19 attempts. The Colts converted all five fourth-down attempts against the Steelers last Sunday. Largely thanks to that, they have the best conversion rate in the NFL at 88.2 percent. So what…