In just one week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin their season against the Atlanta Falcons, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will be playing his first game back at the stadium where he was dismissed just eight months prior. You can assume that Smith is considering this clash with some additional consideration. Though he appears to be happy in Pittsburgh, losing his job must have provided him with a little more drive.

I got this idea from a listener of our The Depot Dive podcast, Austin in Atlanta. Is there any advantage for the Steelers having Arthur Smith against his old team? The answer isn’t straightforward or completely measurable, but let’s discuss it.

When Raheem Morris was hired as the new head coach, he hired a new staff, including defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. In 2023, Smith had Ryan Nielsen as his defensive coordinator with the Falcons. They both are on record saying they want to play fast and aggressive defense, but their schemes aren’t exactly the same.

While Lake plays more of a 3-4 basis with the current team, Nielsen played more of a base 4-3 defence. The starting defence for the Falcons is essentially the same when looking across the roster. The roster is largely unchanged save from the addition of Matt Judon and Justin Simmons, and the departure of Calais Campbell and Jeff Okudah.

Smith will have some edge given his familiarity with the personnel, but will that outweigh the defense being familiar with his style of offense?

When the Steelers started training camp in July, Alex Kozora wrote an article stating that Smith’s offense was on full display. Smith likes to run the ball and uses a lot of 12 and 13 personnel. He uses pistol alignment and also likes to use fullbacks. The run scheme features wide-zone concepts more than gap/power.

If his offense is largely the same, that should be an advantage for the Falcons. I would think that their knowledge of his scheme is a stronger edge than Smith’s familiarity with the personnel.

Obviously, Smith would know that and will be looking to add some wrinkles to his game. If he knows the opponent has a strong idea of what his offense is running, there are ways to use that to his advantage. They can run different plays out of familiar formations and look to disguise things a little better.

The offense won’t be completely the same. A good coordinator tailors the scheme around the personnel. One of the big reasons the Falcons weren’t successful during Smith’s three-year tenure was their lack of a quarterback. Simply having a quarterback like Russell Wilson and potentially a package of plays for Justin Fields should change the dynamic a bit.

Ultimately, though, the defence spent three years practicing against his offence nonstop. Long-time players ought to have a clear idea of what the player is attempting to achieve. That doesn’t always imply that it is simple to stop, but in this instance, I believe the Falcons have the upper hand against the Steelers.