A common coaching refrain in football is “players over plays.” Basically, the idea that finding mismatches and accentuating the talent on your roster, the strengths of your team, is more important than any schemes.

But it sounds as if Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith believes he has a lot of capable Jimmy’s and Joe’s, so he’s all about the X’s and O’s. At least that was the crux of his explanation as to why Jonnu Smith has out-snapped fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth this season, 402-333. While that’s not a significant gap over the course of three months, Smith also has been on the field more than Freiermuth in all but two games.

And now Aaron Rodgers is not-so-subtly bringing it up, calling Freiermuth’s playing time “above my pay grade.” That’s probably not true in a literal s

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