A quarterback and offensive coordinator must have a strong relationship. That much is obvious. The relationship between the coordinator and the offensive line coach can be just as important. Especially in a place like Pittsburgh, where historically the coordinator has served as the de facto “pass game” leader and the offensive line coach controls the running game. For Arthur Smith, he’s having fun working with Pat Meyer.
“Pat is a guy I’ve really enjoyed working with, but we’ve got a great staff,” Smith told reporters Thursday via a team-provided transcript. “Isaac [Williams] and Mateo [Kambui] do a great job in that room, and there’s a lot of hours spent, players and coaches. If you want to be great, you need to have a great team, and we do.”
Smith was hired in 2024 when Meyer was already on staff. Smith brought his outside-zone-heavy scheme to Meyer’s running game, which seems varied and untethered to any particular concept, though he’s seemed to run more zone than gap/power. The mesh didn’t always feel like a perfect fit, but as the young offensive line has grown, the results have followed.
Pittsburgh’s running game has found its stride, and the offense is coming alive. In Sunday’s win over Detroit, the Steelers ran for 230 yards and more than 8.5 yards per carry. The latter set a franchise record, breaking the previous mark of 8.3 YPC in a 2006 game against the New Orleans Saints.
Smith also references two lesser-known voices in that room in Isaac Williams and Mateo Kambui. Both are assistant offensive line coaches. Williams has been with the Steelers since 2022 and is remembered for getting tossed aside by Broderick Jones during a Combine drill while Kambui followed Smith from Atlanta to Pittsburgh.
Meyer is believed to be entering a contract year, and Pittsburgh will have to decide whether or not to bring him back. Entering the season, that seemed unlikely. Now, it looks a lot more plausible. It’s a decision essentially placed solely in Mike Tomlin’s hands. He has control over the coaching staff, though understanding the quality of the relationship between Smith and Meyer is one element in considering that decision.
