The Pittsburgh Steelers had a calculated game plan last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, part of which involved not throwing over the middle of the field to ensure that Falcons S Jessie Bates III didn’t take over the game. Former NFL head coach Matt Patricia praised Smith for taking away Bates and putting QB Justin Fields in position to succeed.
“Arthur does a great job understanding his quarterbacks. What do they do well? Where can they put the ball? What do they read in coverage?” Patricia said on the Coach Podcast with Michael Lombardi and Bill Belichick.