Steelers struggling offense has weapons to succeed
It was understandable the Steelers passing game took a step backward in 2019. Ben Roethlisberger was injured six quarters into the season and went on injured reserve for the remainder of the year. The Steelers passing offense plummeted all the way from second in the league in 2018 to second-to-last, and the most plausible explanation was Roethlisberger’s absence.
But with Roethlisberger back last season and healthy for all 16 games, the Steelers still only managed to rank 15th in passing yards in 2020. One of Mike Tomlin’s and new offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s biggest tasks this offseason is figuring out why.
And much of the focus will be on an inconsistent receiving corps that would flourish in one game and then flummox the next.
From2013-18, the Steelers had a 1,000-yard receiver every season. In 2018, they had two. But now for a second year in a row, they failed to produce one.
Antonio Brown was responsible for six of the seven 1,000-yard seasons and JuJu Smith-Schuster the other. Brown was traded before the 2019 season, and SmithSchuster could be gone now, too. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and the Steelers have to determine ifhe they want to offer him a second contract.
Smith-Schuster has been the Steelers’ most consistent receiver for years, but his two most productive seasons came in his first two years in the league when Brown was on the team and often drawing double coverage. Despite his dip in production, Smith-Schuster remains a favorite target of Roethlisberger and has the most reliable set of hands on the team. Those are reasons to try to find a way to keep him, but at what price?
Theway the Steelers have used Smith-Schuster the past two seasons suggests theydon’t view him as a true No. 1 receiver. They used him almost strictly as a slot receiver last season, and while he had 97 catches and a career-high nine touchdowns, he averaged a careerlow8.6 yards-per catch.
Paying a possession receiver big money doesn’t seem like a smart move by the front office unless there is a plan to use him in a more effective way. And even if there was a plan, the Steelers simply might not have enough money under the salary cap to make it work.
The good news for the Steelers is if they decided against signing SmithSchuster, they are well-positioned to absorb the loss. Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and James Washington are three very capable receivers that are under contract next season.
Claypool has traits to develop into a No. 1 receiver. As a rookie, he led the Steelers in touchdowns (11) and was second on the team in receiving yards (873). The Steelers desperately needed a deep threat for their offense, and Claypool provided some big plays and was among the league leaders in drawing pass interference penalties.
Steelers quarterbacks had a 110.4 rating when targeting Claypool — the best rating on the team — and he averaged 14.1 yards per catch. Also, 41 of his 62 catches went for first downs. Roethlisberger quickly figured out he could look for Claypool in clutch situations, and Claypool should have an even bigger impact in his second season.
Johnson led the Steelers in receiving yards (923) and, unfortunately, drops (13). Entering his third NFL season he is by far the offense’s most inconsistent performer. At times, he looks like a true No. 1 receiver and other times he looks like he barely belongs in the NFL.
In one of the biggest games of the season last year in Buffalo, Tomlin had to bench him after two early drops. His issues with drops had a negative impact on the offense because he drew a team-high 144 targets. The Steelers, in essence, have to decide if they can trust him.
When he’s on his game Johnson can be electric. He had three 100-yard receiving games, including one in the AFC wild-card loss to the Browns. He is among the most elusive receivers in the league in the open field, with 394 of his 923 receiving yards coming after the catch.
There is more potential to tap with Johnson, and the Steelers must make sure it comes out, especially if Smith-Schuster leaves.
One year after leading the Steelers in receiving yards, Washington had a reduced role due to Claypool’s emergence. He is entering the final year of his contract and could have a larger role next season.
Washington had 30 catches for 293 yards and a career-best five touchdowns. He might not be a player the Steelers sign to a second contract, but he can be plenty valuable in 2021.
There was a stretch of games in the middle of last season when Ray-Ray McCloud got more offensive snaps than Washington. With Canada in full control of the offense next season, McCloud’s role could grow unless the Steelers find another player of his ilk to run the jet sweeps and other gadget plays that were modestly successful in the first half of last season. He is a restricted free agent and would have to agree to a dealto come back.
Even if Smith-Schuster is noton the team next season, this is an above-average group of receivers, but don’t be surprised if general manager Kevin Colbert adds one in the draft. Colbert has drafted a receiver every year since 2012, and seven of themin that span have been taken in the second or third rounds.
And it’s another draft loaded with quality prospects. With Washington entering the final year of his rookie deal, the Steelers could keep their drafting streak alive in an attempt to keep some continuity in their receiving corps into 2022.