Former All-Pro NFL WR Rips Steelers OC Arthur Smith: ‘This Dude Got You in Three Tight End Packages’

While Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has received a lot of flak for the team’s five-game losing streak to end the season, former All-Pro NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall points the finger at offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He thinks Smith set Wilson up to fail with poor play-calling and personnel.

It was reported last week by Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show that Smith and Wilson had an unhappy working relationship during the 2024 season.

“This is what I would say. I would’ve love to seen Russell Wilson go rogue. When he goes up-tempo, when he calls the game, that dude’s stats are crazy,” Marshall said on the I Am Athlete podcast. “And don’t have me look them up because I already got ’em. I’m loaded. That’s how l’d hold him accountable. We ain’t got time to play with these people. Legacy is on the line, careers are on the line. This dude got you in three tight end packages. I want to see Russ throw.”

Coupled with Smith’s poor play-calling, Marshall also thinks Pickens’ hamstring injury that caused him to miss three games hindered Wilson’s production.

“They lose the last four games. Pickens went down. His guy who opened the whole offense, he went [down].”

Perhaps it was play-calling, but one thing is clear, Wilson left a lot to be desired at the end of the season. In the final four regular season games, Wilson had an 81.3 passer rating, with four touchdowns compared to two interceptions and two fumbles lost. He was also sacked 14 times over those four games. Wilson had better numbers in the playoff loss to the Ravens, but the Steelers were trailing by two scores for almost the entire contest.

The Steelers finished the 2024 season ranked 11th in rushing offense, averaging 127.4 yards per game, but they were fourth in rushing attempts (533). It was just a lot of volume, but the production wasn’t there, only averaging 4.1 yards per carry. The Steelers ranked 29th this season in EPA. The run game was supposed to be Arthur Smith’s specialty, but it never blossomed. The play-action game also wasn’t where it needed to be. The Steelers’ success rate using play-action was actually worse than last year.

A report by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated last week said the team grew frustrated with Wilson down the stretch run, but would love to keep working with Justin Fields, who started the first six games of the season while Wilson was hurt.

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