Steelers OC Arthur Smith trying to keep T.J. Watt from ‘wrecking practice’

Arthur Smith, who is settling in as the new Steelers offensive coordinator, needs to worry about friendly fire. After all, T.J. Watt tends to make things difficult for an offense, whether he’s facing his own guys or the ones in a different uniform.

Watt will be the Bills’ problem today with the Steelers conducting a joint practice with them at Acrisure Stadium. But every other day over the past three weeks, the star pass rusher has tried to wreck plays of his own offense.

Smith talked about the topic this week with Pat McAfee, who besides being a sports personality and former Colts punter, has been a diehard Steelers fan since childhood.

“I always joke with TJ, I’m not going to let you wreck practice today,” Smith told McAfee. “You don’t want to be stubborn. Sometimes he gets a little pissed if we scheme around him. But I just (say) ‘hey, I’m not going to be an idiot and just let him wreck your practice.'”

Steelers star should pass 100 sacks early this season

Smith isn’t spouting hyperbole to entertain a podcast audience. Watt is starting his eighth season with the Steelers. And he’ll go down in Pittsburgh history as one of the best all-time defenders on a team renowned for the Steel Curtain.

Watt’s career sack total stands at 96.5. So he’ll likely reach 100 sometime in September, maybe early October. He’s led the NFL in sacks for three of the past four seasons. Smith, who was the head coach of the Falcons for the past three years, never needed to obsess over Watts when he was in Atlanta. But now he’s got to be aware of the outside linebacker even when he’s not allowed to touch his own quarterback.

Smith’s most important job this training camp is installing an offense and identifying a quarterback to run it. Russell Wilson strained a calf muscle the day before camp started at Saint Vincent’s College in Latrobe, Pa. in late July. Wilson did so while pushing a blocking sled as part of a conditioning test. Coach Mike Tomlin initially held Wilson out of team practices as a precaution. Justin Fields, another new Steelers quarterback, stepped in for the first-team reps.

But as training camp closed Wednesday in Latrobe, Wilson was back amongst the first teamers. And when Tomlin matches the first team offense against the top defense, Wilson, like Smith, needs to worry about Watt. Just in case Watt gets a little over-eager as he blows things up.