Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, left, watches wide receiver Tajae Sharpe during offseason drills May 21 in Nashville. Smith is preparing for his first season in the role, though this will be his ninth season with the Titans.NASHVILLE - Arthur Smith has never called plays in the NFL - not even in a preseason game, a level of experience his predecessor at least had a year ago.
So the Tennessee Titans' new offensive coordinator tests himself calling plays when watching copies of telecasts of old games and at each step of the offseason program. That's the approach he'll follow through training camp and the preseason, all building up to Tennessee's regular-season opener Sept. 8 in Cleveland.
"So we'll see how that is after Week 1," Smith said Thursday.
The Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry, right, runs with the ball attached to a tether held by running back David Fluellen during offseason drills Thursday in Nashville.Smith replaces Matt LaFleur, hired in January as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. That hiring owed more to LaFleur's experience as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator under head coach Sean McVay in 2017 - as well as LaFleur's two years prior as quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons, with the second season including a Super Bowl run and Matt Ryan being named league MVP - than his single season with the Titans, who were one of the NFL's worst offenses in 2018.
Yes, Tennessee ranked seventh in the NFL running the ball thanks largely to Derrick Henry, who piled up 625 of his 1,059 rushing yards in December. The Titans were 29th throwing the ball, though, and starting quarterback Marcus Mariota managed only 11 touchdown passes with eight interceptions. Only five teams scored fewer points than Tennessee's 310 - an average of just 19.4 points per game.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel promoted Smith from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator. Smith, who has been with the franchise the past eight years - and worked with four head coaches in that span - also spent two years with the Washington Redskins, first under Joe Gibbs, then Jim Zorn.
Now the 37-year-old Smith, a former University of North Carolina offensive lineman with no NFL playing experience, is an offensive coordinator for the first time.
Smith said he studies telecasts of games to examine situations, including the end of a half or games, because they provide a better feel than a coach's game video showing all 22 players on the field. He hits pause to make his own calls, though he admits there's no pressure watching on a screen or even live on the practice field.
Vrabel used a similar approach a year ago preparing for his debut as a head coach. He's working closely with Smith this offseason, the same way he is with Dean Pees, who is 69 and has been to two Super Bowls with two different teams as a defensive coordinator.
"If I do it with Dean, there's probably a pretty good chance that I would do it with Arthur and every one of our coaches," Vrabel said. "Just try to make sure that we're all on the same page."
Easing Smith's transition is Mariota, the quarterback who has been around Smith the past four seasons through coach Ken Whisenhunt, coach Mike Mularkey - and his offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie - and now Vrabel. Smith was also with the Titans under Mike Munchak.
"He makes it easy for us to go in there and to talk and to communicate what we like, what we don't like and I think even out here he's done a great job of pushing the envelope with our guys and doing his best to get the most out of everyone," Mariota said of Smith.
The Titans are keeping the same offense as last season, meaning formations and the phrases for motions remain unchanged, though Smith made it clear there will be changes as he tweaks or adds plays from other schemes.
"I'm not above stealing a great idea ," Smith said. "But you're just sitting here saying, 'What is somebody doing that is a good idea? Does it fit what we're doing? Does it fit some of our players?' And we're always looking at that as long as they give me the opportunity to be in this role."