Steelers, Chase Claypool hoping performance against Chargers step in right direction

In a season that has featured more injuries and games missed than touchdown catches, Chase Claypool flashed back to better times last Sunday night when he pulled in a 37-yard reception against the Los Angeles Chargers.

“It was like rolling the clock back to last year when we did a lot of that,” Claypool said. “It was nice to get one of those.”

It reminded the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver of his rookie season when he was one of the NFL’s top young pass catchers. He became the first wide receiver in the Super Bowl era with at least 10 touchdowns in his first 10 career games, and he finished as the Steelers’ leader in touchdowns and yards per reception while finishing second in receiving yardage.

The catch against the Chargers, in which he broke free of the cornerback in single coverage and made a jumping grab on an underthrown pass, also highlighted the good and bad of Claypool’s second season.

It showed the play-making ability that led the Steelers to selecting Claypool in the second round of the 2020 draft. But he also came up short of the end zone, a recurring theme for Claypool this season.

Despite averaging 15.1 yards per catch and again having the second-most receiving yards (526) for the Steelers, Claypool has found the end zone just once in the eight games he has played.

“You get plays on tape, people recognize your talents,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “They make necessary adjustments and efforts to minimize your talents. Everyone’s professional. It’s a component of the game.”

Claypool also left his feet to make the catch, which kept him from covering the final 5 yards for a score. It was a touchdown the Steelers never got as they were stopped on fourth down from the Chargers 2.

Claypool’s penchant for leaving his feet on deep passes has received criticism, but he felt he had no other choice in that situation.

“Sometimes you can make an easy catch hard and try to stay on your feet or you can make an easy catch easy,” he said. “Sometimes you just want to secure the catch. I definitely never try to fall when I catch it.”

Claypool’s difficulty finding the end zone extends to the 11th game of his rookie season. He scored a touchdown just once in his final six regular-season games — he did have two in the playoff loss to Cleveland — making it two touchdowns in a 14-game span, not counting postseason.

Claypool also has drawn just three pass interference calls this season after being one of the NFL’s best at it in 2020. He did get one on a fourth-down pass in the fourth quarter that led to Najee Harris’ 1-yard touchdown run.

“I think he’s made some plays down the field, which have been good,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. “We know he’s capable of that. Obviously, with JuJu (Smith-Schuster) going down, Chase had to step up a little bit in some different roles. I’m happy with where he’s at. Like all of us, we’re going to keep getting better.”

Smith-Schuster’s season-ending shoulder injury, suffered in Week 5 against Denver, has resulted in Claypool taking more snaps in the slot. Still, his time in the slot overall this season is on par with his playing time there as a rookie. He has played 22% of his snaps in the slot each season.

Claypool could see consistent snaps there Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals given No. 4 receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is on the reserve/covid list.

“I like playing in the slot,” Claypool said. “I just like mixing it up. That’s the biggest thing. They’ve started playing me in the slot and outside the last few weeks.”

Claypool’s 93 yards on five receptions against the Chargers came in his first game back since he sat out the Steelers’ 16-16 tie with Detroit because of a turf toe injury. It was the second game Claypool missed this season. He sat out the game at Green Bay with a hamstring injury.

“I wasn’t sure if I was able to play,” Claypool said. “But I made a good comeback, good recovery. It definitely was nice to be back out there because I knew I could contribute in a positive way.”

Perhaps it will be a springboard for Claypool over the final seven weeks of the season, particularly if he can continue to be a deep threat. Canada believes if the Steelers can run the ball consistently, it will permit Claypool to take advantage of more mismatches in coverage.

“We have to then make those plays, which in some cases we have,” Canada said. “In some cases, we’ve been a little off. We’re continuing to fight to produce in those opportunities, call them at the right time and get our guys matched up at the right time and then finish it.”