If you don’t closely follow the Pittsburgh Steelers, you might think special teams coordinator Danny Smith’s defining characteristic is his habit of chewing gum on the sideline. It’s hard to miss. TV cameras love following Smith around on the sideline in big moments. They also love capturing Smith getting mobbed by his players after a big special teams play.
And those plays have been happening at a frequent pace this year. The latest example? Cleveland Browns WR/PR Kadarius Toney muffed a punt in the dying moments of Sunday’s game. And Steelers WR Ben Skowronek pounced on it, helping secure the win. It was part of Toney’s horrible day that actually cost him his job on Tuesday.
But Smith has the respect of his fellow special teams coaches around the league. And that includes the man he’ll be trying to get the better of on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Michael Clay. Clay spoke on Tuesday as part of the Eagles’ weekly press conference and had glowing things to say of Smith and the Steelers’ special teams in general.
“Danny, been in the league a long time. I think this is his 12th year with Pittsburgh,” said Clay. “They play hard for him. They rush extremely hard. You got Killebrew who’s been doing it for a long time… They just rush really hard, and they play hard for Danny. They do a great job in terms of their scheme and rush, believing that they could change the course of a game. So this is gonna be a very, very good test for us going forward. And I always respected Danny. Danny had [Chicago Bears special teams coach Richard] Hightower when he was in Washington, and I was under Hightower in San Francisco. So, just that kind of connection. Danny’s just one of those legends in the special team’s community, gets all these guys to play hard, play relentless, fast.”
Smith is technically in his 11th season as the Steelers’ special teams coordinator. But what Clay says is otherwise true. Any of the players who run out onto the field for a Steelers’ special teams play work their butts off for Smith. It’s role players like Skowronek and Miles Killebrew. It’s also players like DL Cam Heyward, a stalwart starter on the defensive line. Heyward is still working hard for Smith on special teams, even after 14 years in the league. And he’s one of the best Steelers defensive linemen ever.
Smith instills in his players a belief that the special teams units can have a demonstrable effect on the outcome of a game. Skowronek proved that late against the Browns. Earlier this season, WR Calvin Austin III returned a kickoff for a touchdown. And the special teams had a three-game streak of blocking field goals. There’s no question that Clay and the Eagles should be taking Danny Smith and the Steelers seriously on Sunday. And Clay certainly is.
“It’s really going to test us this week to be prepared and be on our Ps and Qs,” Clay said. “‘Cause it’s gonna be a physical game. And it is gonna be one of those very similar to Baltimore where it’s gonna be coming down to maybe special teams having a huge impact on the game.”
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