Pittsburgh Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster seems content with offense

Perhaps JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t have his bowl of Jumpin’ JuJu Crunch this morning.

In an early press conference on Thursday, the receiver was requested if he suggests adjustments to the offense, one which has been slipping in current weeks.

“We’re 11-1. What we have now within the kitchen that’s cooking is basically good,” mentioned Smith-Schuster.

Um… what?

Certainly, he’s not blind. He has, in spite of everything, fewer dropped passes than Diontae Johnson and Eric Ebron.

After all, his reply was simply the quickest method to get onto the subsequent query.

Whereas JuJu wasn’t forthright, he’s additionally not totally unsuitable.

You gained’t discover anybody Pittsburgh receiver main in splashy yards classes. As an alternative, you’ll discover a trio who’ve topped the 600-yard mark: Chase Claypool, 649, Diontae Johnson, 654 and JuJu Smith-Schuster is true at 600.

Sure, Ben Roethlisberger is spreading the love round. And, fortunately, none of them are grasping because the Steelers have skilled previously. 

As a unit, receivers do lead the league in a single class, nonetheless, and it’s not a very good one: most drops (30). And Johnson has a league-leading 10 of them.

However drops aren’t a results of poor playcalling — it’s largely psychological. Johnson and Claypool are each younger, so they need to hone their approach. However they’re within the execs for a cause; they’ve proven they know the way to do it. 

What does the 24-year-old vet inform his teammates?

“I don’t actually say a lot. I say, ‘hold your head up, there’s nonetheless numerous sport to play, and the result of it could possibly nonetheless change.’ That is one thing that they’ve been doing day by day their entire life.” 

The man passing the ball put the onus on himself. “I feel that I would like to offer them extra catchable balls, put them in place to catch balls the place they don’t seem to be going to get hit,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger mentioned in a current press conference. “I’m not going to fret an excessive amount of about pulling them apart and having a heart-to-heart like ‘It’s worthwhile to catch the ball.’ I would like to offer them balls which might be extra catchable, and I should be my finest to allow them to be at their finest. When they’re at their finest, we’re fairly good.”

Huge Ben is simply being good. He’s had some off-target throws, however the dropped receptions in query have been catchable balls. 

Roethlisberger can’t repair that, and there are not any excuses. They simply must get higher — and quick. 

So far as adjustments to the offense, they should occur, and JuJu is aware of this. Specifically, throwing quick passes as an alternative of working the ball labored early on in most weeks, nevertheless it’s not anymore. 

These performs have been overused, and defenses aren’t silly. When opponents crowd the road of scrimmage to defend quick passes, it additionally makes it simpler to cease the run.

What ought to JuJu have mentioned in response? We are able to get higher.