Steelers receivers too much for opponents to handle

PITTSBURGH — Boomer Esiason was a really good NFL quarterback and is an even better NFL analyst. But even the best make mistakes from time to time. Did you hear Esiason, on the CBS halftime show Sunday, refer to the terrific, juggling catch on the sideline by the Steelers' “Diontae Washington?” I laughed but then caught myself. The Steelers have so many good receivers that it is easy to mix them up.

Diontae Johnson made the play that Esiason referenced, doing a nice Antonio Brown imitation by pulling in a 23-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger at the Jaguars 1-yard line, outfighting cornerback Tre Herndon for the ball. But it just as easily could have been James Washington. Or Juju Smith-schuster. Or Chase Claypool.

I'm feeling pretty smart for writing the following sentence on these pages after the opening-game win against the New York Giants:

“I'm not sure Roethlisberger's receivers this season won't end up being his best group.”

Even I get one right once in a while. “The strength of our pack is the pack,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has said.

Roethlisberger picked up on that thought Sunday after the 27-3 win against the Jaguars ran the Steelers' record to 10-0.

“I'm blessed to have such a fun, skilled group. I enjoy working with them. I enjoy communicating with them at night through videos and texts. I joke that they keep me young. They really are a selfless group that really believes in each other. I think they're genuinely happy for each other. They just want to win football games. ...

“We feel like we've got a lot of looks, a lot of different ways we can move guys around and put them in different spots. I give those guys a lot of credit. They do what they're supposed to do and they make plays.”

Roethlisberger repeatedly has referred to Smith-schuster as the team's No. 1 receiver. That is not surprising considering Smith-schuster had a combined 169 catches for 2,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2017 and 2018 and was the Steelers' MVP in 2018. Roethlisberger has gushed about everything from Smith-schuster's toughness to make a first down to his knack for always being in the right spot to his joy when one of the other receivers scores a touchdown or has a bigger statistical day.

“The grizzly veteran of the group,” Tomlin called Smith-schuster, who had his 24th birthday Sunday.

It's just as easy to make an argument that Johnson or Claypool is the Steelers' top receiver. Johnson has been the most targeted receiver in four of the team's 10 games and is coming off two monster 100-yard games against Jacksonville and Cincinnati when he had a combined 18 catches for 227 yards and a touchdown. Claypool had three touchdown catches in those two games and has eight receiving touchdowns for the season, 10 total. He should be the leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year now that Cincinnati's Joe Burrow is out for the season with a knee injury and Miami's Tua Tagovailoa was benched Sunday.

Washington has fewer catches than the other three receivers but does have three touchdown catches and is averaging 11.6 yards per catch, second-best on the team behind Claypool's 14.3 average. Throw in Eric Ebron, who is averaging 10.3 yards on his 35 catches and has scored four touchdowns, and you have a really strong group.

Almost an unstoppable group, according to Ebron.

“It's going to be hard to guard us, zone, whatever,” he said Monday. “We're going to pick you apart because we have the athletes to do that. You've got to pick your poison against us. We have so many talented, young receivers. I'll tell (wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard) or I'll tell Mike T., that when these dudes get older and they understand the more intricacies and the more nuances to route-running, this room's going to be crazy. They might not all be here because they're all

special, but they're going to be crazy athletes.

“It's just dope to be a part of it right now. It's so dope that we all lean on each other. ... That's just what kind of team we are.

No one is selfish. No one cares who gets the pill. No one cares who gets the first down or the touchdown. We're a team. That's what's dope.”

Tomlin gave a lot of credit to Roethlisberger Monday for his “patience” with the young receivers and for working closely with them to bring them along.

Roethlisberger also has done a wonderful job spreading the ball around to his guys. All five, including Ebron, have led or tied for the team lead in targets, catches and receiving yards in at least one game. All five have at least three touchdown catches.

“I trust every single one of those guys to make a play when

I call their number,” Roethlisberger said. “I'm not trying to force anybody the ball. I'm trying to get guys the ball that'll make plays. Right now, that's kind of everybody.”

I'll write it a little more definitively this time:

It's the best group of receivers Roethlisberger has had.