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Everybody noticed JuJu Smith-Schuster blow out the “candle” — a soccer — after the remainder of the Pittsburgh Steelers receiving corps sang “Completely happy Birthday” to him following the primary landing of final week’s sport in Jacksonville.
It was classic JuJu, full with a set of effervescent celebratory hops — the identical approach somebody half his age would possibly act throughout a birthday.
Smith-Schuster turned 24 that day, which is tough to imagine contemplating he’s near ending his fourth NFL season, and every of the three Steelers draft lessons after Smith-Schuster’s class included a participant older than him.
When he arrived in Pittsburgh in 2017, Smith-Schuster was, in a way of talking, only a child. In any case, he wasn’t in a position to buy alcohol legally for greater than six months after he signed his first contract. He had no driver’s license. He commuted through bicycle.
The Steelers sang blissful birthday to JuJu 😂🥳
(through @steelers) pic.twitter.com/1FHk3d5V9K
— ESPN (@espn) November 22, 2020
Smith-Schuster grew up quick as a participant, turning into a Professional Bowler in his second season. However the maturing of his sport has continued and is way extra nuanced than his manufacturing illustrates.
“He’s a man that I can line up wherever,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stated, “and he is aware of what to do. What you see from him by way of his demeanor, his perspective when the ball is in his hand is dedication. It’s unbelievable.”
A day after Smith-Schuster’s twenty fourth birthday, coach Mike Tomlin referred to him as “the grizzly veteran of the (huge receivers) group.” That’s true of what’s the youngest unit on the crew. However Smith-Schuster’s “veteran” bona fides are exhibited by extra quantitative methods than his age, veteran standing and even conventional statistics:
• Focus/focus? How a few dropped-pass charge (one in 73 targets) that’s bettered by solely eight receivers within the league. Or a fumble charge (0% of 58 touches) that can not be topped.
• Clutch potential? Solely three NFL gamers have extra third-down catches for first downs than Smith-Schuster (13). Greater than 58% of Smith-Schuster’s catches (34 of 58) have attained a primary down or a landing.
• Consistency? Smith-Schuster ranks 14th amongst 113 qualifying receivers in share of targets caught (79.5%), and he has caught at the very least two-thirds of all balls thrown his approach throughout every sport this season.
“I wouldn’t wish to play many video games with out JuJu,” offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner stated. “He’s the guts and soul of the (receiving) group. I stated the identical factor about Hines (Ward) years in the past. He’s simply robust. He does all of these issues.”
Smith-Schuster’s physicality is tough to quantify, but it surely exhibits on a weekly foundation in blocking, throughout “fight catches” and in breaking tackles.
Maybe no different side of Smith-Schuster’s sport higher encapsulates his talent set than on third downs. Roethlisberger repeatedly talks in regards to the “belief” he has in his most senior receiver throughout these moments.
“I consider it as, ‘Third down will get your paid,’ ” Smith-Schuster stated. “When it’s third-and-long, third-and-10, third-and-5, I really like and embrace these moments. I’m hoping the ball comes my approach.”
“I’m blissful being 5-0,” JuJu Smith-Schuster stated Tuesday. “Individuals inform me you solely obtained me two factors this week in fantasy. I’d fairly have two factors and be 5-0 than be 1-5 and have 25 fantasy factors.” https://t.co/qXA6mGQBYr
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 21, 2020
However with unrestricted free agency scheduled to beckon in a number of months, the Steelers need to ask themselves if Smith-Schuster ought to receives a commission like a No. 1 receiver.
Gamers who’ve 265 catches, 3,411 yards and 22 touchdowns earlier than their twenty fourth birthday and hit the open market receives a commission like No. 1 receivers. And with Smith-Schuster coming into Week 12 ranked among the many prime 32 huge receivers in catches (thirteenth with 58), yards (thirty second, 535) and touchdowns (tied for 14th, 5), the numbers say he’s a No. 1 receiver.
Then once more, the Steelers have drafted a receiver with one in every of their first two picks in every of the previous three drafts. With Johnson and Claypool trying like WR1 materials, it may be tough for the Steelers to justify opening the vault for Smith-Schuster.
That doesn’t imply the franchise quarterback received’t advocate for it.
“If you’ve obtained a man,” Roethlisberger stated, “when push involves shove, when the rubber meets the highway — all of the completely different slangs you wish to use — when you’ve gotten a man like JuJu that I do know and belief in, it makes you are feeling fairly comfy.”
Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Evaluation workers author. You may contact Chris by e mail at cadamski@triblive.com or through Twitter .
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Sports | Steelers/NFL
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