Andy Weidl has not directly hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he seems to be the guy he would if he had that authority. Both have offensive line backgrounds as players, which doesn’t hurt, and both see the game from the perspective of the trenches. In his eyes, Smith has only solidified his reputation since arriving in Pittsburgh.

“I think a lot of it is because you’re used to doing the dirty work,” he said of Arthur Smith on the Steelers’ website. “Working together, being part of the offensive line. We say it’s a team within a team and a brotherhood. And Arthur was great to work with. He jumped right in.”

Arthur Smith may come from a wealthy family, but it doesn’t show in his approach to football. An all-state offensive lineman in high school, he had a shortened starting career in college, partly due to a foot injury. From there, he immediately moved into coaching and has been in the NFL since 2007 (minus one year).

While he hopes to build a new legacy in Pittsburgh, Smith built his reputation with the Tennessee Titans, starting as a defensive line coach before moving on to coaching the offensive line and then the tight ends. After a successful, albeit brief, stint as offensive coordinator, he landed a job as head coach with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Steelers – and others around the league – consider it their good fortune that he failed there. They hired him as their new offensive coordinator because they viewed him as the man who would bring the right culture and strategy. Even Andy Weidl has visions of his past when he sees what Smith brings to Pittsburgh.

“If you remember his teams in Tennessee – the offenses – they were physical, they were tough, they imposed their will, and that fits with what we want to do here and what we want to be,” he said of Smith. “Just a great guy and fits well here in Pittsburgh with his mentality and his background. … We’re lucky to have him.”

After three years under Matt Canada as offensive coordinator, Steelers players find Arthur Smith very refreshing. Even rookie Troy Fautanu is excited to play in the physical, offensive system he is implementing.

The Steelers wanted to rebuild a physical identity on offense, a process that began last offseason, but they clearly didn’t feel like they were making enough progress there, as they made some radical changes.

Not only did the Steelers trade away their entire quarterback corps, they also signed three offensive linemen. The wide receiver corps also looks significantly different without George Pickens as the new center. Smith hopes to use him in his system, especially in the vertical game, which is built on mismatches.

In addition, the Steelers like the way Arthur Smith runs the offense. Russell Wilson, for example, raved about his style of play, which he will see for the first time in the game on Saturday night. I don’t know how it will all play out, but like Weidl, I see Smith as providing the framework for success.