JuJu Smith-Schuster's Impact Reflects More Than His Stat Line
Mike Tomlin isn't worried about JuJu Smith-Schuster and neither should anyone else. The third-year receiver doesn't have the numbers he was hoping for, but his decreased stat line isn't an indication he's on the downfall.
In his first year as the Steelers' number one receiver, Smith-Schuster was expected to see an increase in coverage. Without Antonio Brown, Smith-Schuster was now the player teams would put their top corner on, and most times another defender.
Life as the number one comes with a tougher challenge on a week-to-week basis. Life as a number one without your starting quarterback makes it even harder.
Mason Rudolph fits the scheme Smith-Schuster plays under. Despite taking time to open up his playbook, Rudolph is developing into a pretty 'normal' quarterback for the Steelers.
Through six games as a starter, he's gone from nothing but underneath routes to taking his chances on a number of deep balls within a game. Some of those shots head towards Smith-Schuster, and as the quarterback becomes more confident, he'll get pull the trigger more and more.
So, to says Smith-Schuster is struggling isn't necessarily true. He's facing obstacles and creating as much of an opportunity as he can with each chance. Those passes may not come as often as he'd like, but for a top receiver on a team with a backup QB, he's done everything he's supposed to.
"You know, how he’s done relative and statistics are probably two different things because it doesn’t happen in a vacuum," Mike Tomlin said. "I’ve got no issues with how he’s handled himself relative to some of those matchups, but statistics might not tell the story because a lot of things going on around him."
Tomlin acknowledges that his wideout is taking advantage of the times the ball does come his way. Against Miami, Smith-Schuster went up for a 50/50 ball in the endzone and took complete control in bringing it in. It was a reminder that he's still one of the best in the league, he's just waiting for the moments the offense flows his direction.
"I like his work. I like his professionalism," Tomlin said. "I like how he wins his one on ones. Hopefully it’s a catalyst for us, in terms of getting more traction and consistently moving the ball offensively."
Everyone knows this offense is a 'take it as it comes' offense from here on out. You don't deal with the injuries the Steelers have without adjusting to that mentality. At 4-4, Pittsburgh is fighting with their backs against the wall, and the last thing they're worried about it who is and isn't getting attention.
Smith-Schuster will get his touches. And if he doesn't, it's because this offense is moving because he's taking up too much attention from the defense. No matter what, though, he's making his impact felt each Sunday.
From here on out, that's all everyone in Pittsburgh needs to do - create as much of a positive effect as they can. It doesn't matter if they're getting the ball or not.
"Really it just depends on, in the short term, who’s available to us," Tomlin said. "We’ve dealt with some unique circumstances, in terms of player availability, and it dictates that personality is adjusted accordingly. When we gain some traction, in terms of player availability, maybe we can start talking about some of the things that you mentioned. In the meanwhile, we better do what it is that we can do with what we have available to us in an effort to win the game."
