How Can the Steelers Best Use JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2021?

When JuJu-Smith Schuster indicated he wished to play more on the outside on Wednesday, it was met with a lot of dialogue in direction of Smith-Schuster’s position within the 2021 Steelers offense. Nonetheless, maybe much more perplexing is simply who the Steelers would pull off the sphere if he and Ray-Ray McCloud are to get on the sphere extra.

With a purpose to see what the Steelers could be lacking with Smith-Schuster on the skin as an alternative of within the slot, there must be context added. Very first thing’s first, even a small drop in slot snaps could be important for Smith-Schuster. He ran 88% of his complete routes on the season from the slot alignment and his 513 routes run out the slot in 2020 led the NFL. He performed virtually completely within the slot place through the 2020 season and his 108 targets from the alignment led the NFL.

Merely, Smith-Schuster performed lots of time from the slot place. Meaning the Steelers must make important concerns to their personnel to get him taking part in time exterior. Nonetheless, what Smith-Schuster meant to the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger as a check-down choice can’t get replaced.

Over the whole thing of the 2020 season, Smith-Schuster amassed 23 first down receptions on both third or fourth down. That led the NFL. In the identical conditions, he caught 4 touchdowns, which was ok for second-most within the NFL. Roethlisberger talked about loving Smith-Schuster as that security blanket on third down, and it’s no secret as to why he believes that. Smith-Schuster racked up 58 yards after contact on these performs, additionally second within the NFL in 2020.

In different phrases, it actually doesn’t matter who’s within the slot for the Steelers on early downs. Nonetheless, when these key downs come to fruition, Smith-Schuster must be within the slot. There may be an excessive amount of to switch there, and he was far too beneficial to not make use of out of the slot.

Now, on that essential micro-scale, Smith-Schuster is a weapon and a half. He has positive fingers and might use his measurement and physicality to separate and make fight catches. Nonetheless, simply on a macro scale, it’s clear how beneficial Smith-Schuster was to the Steelers from the slot.

His 9 touchdowns are probably the most of any participant from the slot in 2020. His 85 receptions from the slot have been probably the most within the NFL. Sadly, that is the place a conundrum is available in for Smith-Schuster. He was solely tenth in total receiving yards from the slot. Furthermore, he ranked a measly 18th within the NFL in supposed air yards. The Steelers weren’t utilizing Smith-Schuster down the soccer area. Nonetheless, most of this was not his fault.

This is likely one of the largest points with the Randy Fichtner offense, nonetheless. The Steelers did not assault the center of the sphere on a constant foundation. Extra importantly, they did not assault the deep center of the sphere. Ben Roethlisberger solely threw 18 passes previous twenty yards to the center of the sphere. He threw almost a whopping 47 passes of over 20 yards to the boundaries, nonetheless.

Fades and deep passes to the skin are persistently one of many lowest proportion passes within the NFL.  Roethlisberger threw an on-target ball solely 42.5% of the time. That’s 20 of 47 passes. In the meantime, he threw an on-target cross to the center of the sphere 55.5% of the time, ok for 10 of 18 passes. Roethlisberger’s on-target throw proportion of 55.5% to the center of the sphere is about league common to barely above common. His on-target throw proportion of 42.5% is under league common. It’s clear the Steelers are lacking out on a fertile space of the sphere right here. Nobody damage extra from this than Smith-Schuster.

This lack of ability to get downfield targets is probably going one of many principal motivations for Smith-Schuster’s transfer to the skin. Nonetheless, simply looking at his downfield numbers from the slot, and it’s clear that Smith-Schuster was miscast. Whereas he’s a dependable chain mover, he’s additionally a dependable downfield menace. On extra vertical-oriented routes from the slot, Smith-Schuster registered a formidable 19 receptions for 289 yards and 5 touchdowns. He led the NFL in touchdowns from the slot on these routes regardless of solely receiving 23 targets in these conditions. These routes embody posts, double strikes, wheels, fades, go routes, deep overs, seam routes, and again shoulder fades.

It’s alarmingly clear that Smith-Schuster should be used as a vertical menace in the course of the sphere. Now, this isn’t only a menace on these vertical routes. Routes like deep overs are the place he can excel on a horizontal aircraft, however additional down the sphere. With a pitiful 5.5 common depth of goal in 2020, it’s clear this has to go up considerably.

So, what is de facto the reply as to how one can use Smith-Schuster in 2021?

Effectively, it’s clear the Steelers have to make use of him within the slot at the least 70% of the time, and on virtually all third and fourth down eventualities. It’s merely acknowledged that Smith-Schuster is much too beneficial as a gritty chain mover. Nonetheless, he can nonetheless get some reps on the skin. Nonetheless, to fulfill Smith-Schuster, utilizing him as a downfield weapon for his profit in addition to Roethlisberger’s looks as if a pure transfer. That’s one space Matt Canada has to work upon.

Smith-Schuster is a sophisticated, spectacular expertise. The Steelers need to know they’ve soccer participant that they painfully miscast final season as an beneath check-down choice. Whether or not the Steelers can use Smith-Schuster down the center of the sphere on a vertical aircraft extra typically is but to be seen, nonetheless, it must be a pure transfer given his success right here.

All stats cited are courtesy of and based on Sports activities Information Options.