The Pittsburgh Steelers have been experimenting with a couple new wrinkles for the offense. The main one that they have gone to is the "Pittsburgh Plunge," which is their own version of the Tush Push play. That has also been the most successful one, with utility-man Connor Heyward even scoring a touchdown on the play in Week 15. That play has worked nearly every single time that they have tried it, and it has given Head Coach Mike Tomlin the confidence to be more aggressive on 4th and 1 finally.
Justin Guido / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Connor Heyward takes the football on a 4th & short against the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 NFL season.
Before practice on Thursday, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith gave some details about that particular play.
Arthur Smith said they call their tush push "The Spartan" for former Michigan State ball carrier Connor Heyward.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 18, 2025
On top of that, Smith also revealed the name of the fake Tush Push that they ran earlier in the season, where Kenneth Gainwell took a handoff and almost scored.
The trick tush push is called "Yazoo" after Kenny Gainwell's hometown of Yazoo, Mississippi.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 18, 2025
Now, whenever defensive players hear "Spartan" or "Yazoo" being called out, they know what to expect. There is always the possibility that Smith said this out loud with the idea of changing up the names of the plays for later use, but in general, you don't want to give away your secrets and tell the opposing defense what play is coming like he just did.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith (right) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
The quarterback sneak may be the hardest play for a defense to stop, but when they know if a fake is coming or not, it makes it a bit easier. Of course, the formation is a dead giveaway that the play will be either the real thing or some trickery. Either way, having the threat of handing it off and not plunging up the middle makes the opposition think more than they want to.
Steelers' Names For Tush Push Are Just A Trend
Also during that interview, Smith revealed his mindset for naming trick plays in general, let alone the Pittsburgh Plunge.
Trick play handoff out of the Spartan formation is called Yazoo after Kenny Gainwell's hometown in Mississippi. Smith said he likes to get creative with special plays and how he names them.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) December 18, 2025
Once again, defenses now have a tell on the Steelers. If someone is calling out an audible or a signal that is very unusual, odds are there is something going on, and they need to be ready for anything for that particular play. Smith didn't reveal exactly what the names of other trick plays are, but he did give his opponents a clue as to what exactly is going on outside of the obvious giveaway from the formation itself.
Benjamin B. Braun / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith walking off the field in Baltimore, MD.
Based on the "Spartan" and "Yazoo" plays, it would not be surprising if other plays were named after specific details about his own players. Maybe there's a jet sweep to DK Metcalf that is named "Seahawks" or something similar. Either way, it suddenly got easier for defenses to dissect the Steelers' playbook, and that could be a problem once they get into the playoffs against these elite defenses.
The best-case scenario with this interview is that Smith is playing mind games with the opponent. Maybe he is just giving them false information so they can prepare for something that's not actually happening. Heyward could call out "Yazoo" as an audible and just run the Tush Push himself. If that's the case, this could be a genius maneuver from the offensive coordinator. The Steelers need every little edge they can get.
What do you think about Smith revealing the names of the Tush Push variants and how he names trick plays? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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