Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Pleased With Week 1 Offensive Plan From Arthur Smith

The Pittsburgh Steelers defied the odds and beat the Atlanta Falcons during their Week 1 matchup. This is a promising start for an offense heavily overhauled during the offseason. The Steelers have been rebuilding their offensive line for the past two years. The first game featured a rookie center, Zach Frazier. In addition to Frazier, Spencer Anderson had to step up at guard and start in his first NFL game. 

It wasn't just the line. Pittsburgh also hired Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith and brought in two new quarterbacks: Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Smith has reportedly spent the offseason preparing for Wilson to start. After all, Head Coach Mike Tomlin has used the words "pole position" every time his name comes up. However, Wilson's nagging calf injury ended up keeping him out of the game, and Fields got the start. 

Legendary Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger may have been in the Steel City for his whole career, but he has experience stepping in for an injured player and dealing with new coordinators. His show, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, has returned with the start of the season, and on its recent episode, he broke down the Steelers' 18-10 win over the Falcons. 

Roethlisberger said he kept notes while he watched the game, and one thing he was pleased with was Smith's progressive opening of the playbook. The 18-year vet said it makes sense that Smith kept Fields somewhat reined in initially and then relaxed as they found their rhythm.

"I like the way the OC [Offensive Coordinator] has opened up the playbook a little bit," said Roethlisberger. "Started getting some stuff down the field. It felt like you weren't keeping Justin [Fields] in such a small box. Let's slowly start to open the box a little bit and let him do what he does. I thought they did a great job with that."

The Steelers and Fields couldn't find the end zone during the game, but they managed to win off the foot of the exceptional Chris Boswell. Roethlisberger said that you want to score touchdowns, but he felt Fields had a solid first performance in black and gold. According to Roethlisberger, Fields did the most important things: he got a win and didn't turn the ball over. 

It isn't clear yet if Wilson or Fields will start Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Wilson has a bit of a personal axe to grind with Denver. Head Coach Sean Payton was so desperate to get rid of Wilson that they paid him to basically go away. He is with the Steelers on a one-year veteran minimum contract, hoping to prove he isn't the player Payton made him out to be. If Fields stays in, Roethlisberger hopes that Smith continues to open the playbook with him and have him take more shots at George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. 

Steelers' Week 2 Starter Already Decided?

Tomlin is known for keeping his cards close to his vest. Except in the case of significant injury, he rarely reveals his plans for players. When asked in his postgame press conference about who would start in Week 2, he chuckled and suggested they ask him again during his normal Tuesday media event.

However, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, there is a "good chance" that Fields will start against the Broncos. It does seem as if Wilson's injury has lingered. It was first reported at the start of training camp when stories circulated that the 35-year-old quarterback had strained it doing a strength test on a tackling dummy. Tomlin has certainly minimized the injury despite Wilson's inconsistent availability to play.     

While Wilson surely has his reasons for wanting to play against Denver, expect Fields to make the most out of every opportunity he gets. After three seasons with the Chicago Bears, the former first-round draft pick has struggled to live up to his potential. Fields wants to prove that the issue was the dysfunctional system in Chicago, rather than his actual abilities. 

What did you think about Smith's play-calling against the Falcons? Click to comment below.

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