Category: Chase Claypool

Chase Claypool vs. J.K. Dobbins: Revisiting the great Twitter debate

Many Steelers fans were pulling for Pittsburgh to draft running back J.K. Dobbins over wide receiver Chase Claypool back in the spring.

It’s safe to say very few mocked Chase Claypool to the Steelers with their first pick.

Leading up to the NFL draft, many Black and Gold fans saw the need for a running back, and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins was a popular choice. There was a big push to select him in the second round where, instead, Pittsburgh went with the wide receiver from Notre Dame. Not only did the Steelers not get Dobbins, but he went to the hated rival Baltimore Ravens.

I’ll be the first to admit; I questioned what the Steelers thought when they passed on Dobbins — so much so that I wrote a commentary on it.

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We were all surprised. Even Chase himself. “That would’ve been my last guess,” Claypool told the Pittsburgh media post-draft.

It was a mixed bag of reactions to the Chase Claypool selection on Twitter. Many tweets were even deleted, probably those who aren’t good at eating crow.

You won’t find Claypool’s name in bold predictions for the 2020 class or touted in preseason positional rookie rankings. But with 333 yards, he’s the Steelers leading receiver. Add to that four receiving touchdowns and two rushing, and the Steelers got a steal in the draft.

It’s only eight weeks into Mapletron’s professional NFL career; too early to know the full impact of any team’s draft picks, really. Although there’s just a small sampling of the big picture, he’s quieted the haters. Claypool’s production has been more than many of us could’ve imagined. The Steelers are known for bringing rookie receivers along slowly, christening them, instead, via special teams. But not this guy.

As for Baltimore, they are bringing their rookie along slowly. With Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards, they didn’t need to throw Dobbins into the fire immediately. While J.K. is averaging 6.2 yards per attempt, that was helped by two long runs of 44 and 34. Otherwise, he has 76 yards rushing. He was known for his hands coming out of college, too — he’s been targeted 14 times in the passing game for a 6.7 average (67% catch rate).

Ingram is unlikely to play today, so it’ll be Edwards and Dobbins against the vaunted Pittsburgh D. Since we’re all usually watching the Steelers on Sundays, this will be our first chance to get a good look at Dobbins as a professional.

In hindsight, I’m confident the Steelers made the right move. Always trust the organization — they usually know what they’re doing.

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Was the Steelers’ secret weapon exposed in Week 7?

The Tennessee Titans figured out what the Pittsburgh Steelers already knew.

Well, it was nice while it lasted…

In recent weeks, the Steelers began utilizing rookie Chase Claypool as a “No. 1” receiver, and his numbers reflected it.

Opponents, however, were not treating him as a No. 1. Claypool and his team were reaping the benefits of their adversary’s oversight.

That is until Tennessee.

In prepping for Week 4… strike that… Week 7, the Tennessee Titans figured out what Pittsburgh already knew: Chase Claypool is somethin’ special.

Tennessee had the luxury of extra prep time for the Steelers due to their Week 4 matchup postponement. That extra time offered the Titans a solid glimpse of just how the Steelers were using Claypool, his progression through the weeks, and the spark he provided on offense.

In six games (two starts), Claypool, affectionately known as Mapletron, has done far more than anyone outside of the organization thought he would. Through Week 6, Chase supplied 356 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns.

Mapletron showed all the tools of a playmaker, and Tennessee was the first to challenge that notion by successfully shutting him down. He drew double teams for the first time this season. Cornerback Malcolm Butler and safety Kevin Byard did an unfortunately stellar job taking him out of the game.

On a short pass in his first opportunity early in the second quarter, Chase was tackled by Jadeveon Clowney two yards behind the line and fumbled. Thanks to awareness the rookie has shown week-in and week-out, Chase recovered the ball. In the next quarter, a pass to Claypool was incomplete, interfered with by Malcolm Butler, which drew a flag. In the fourth, a big spin move on a critical third-down conversion was walked back thanks to pass interference on running back Jaylen Samuels.

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Hopefully, next week Chase will see more opportunities in one-on-one coverage. Short passes have been the name of Ben Roethlisberger’s game, but the Steelers will need to test the Ravens’ defensive backs vertically.

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Steelers WR Chase Claypool named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Chase Claypool’s big game earned him some accolades.

Welcome to the NFL, rookie.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool gave the league a little taste of what he’s capable of in the first three weeks of the season but in the team’s fourth game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Claypool decided to make sure the folks in the back noticed just how good he is.

Claypool’s breakout effort against the Eagles earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Year.

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Claypool and the Steelers coaches quickly figured out how Claypool’s size and speed could be best utilized as they exploited coverage problems with the Eagles. His final stat line was terribly impressive, especially for a rookie on a team with this much skill talent.

Those numbers don’t account for the rushing touchdown Claypool scored as well. It might be premature to say Claypool is the new No. 1 receiver on the Steelers. I think as long as Dointae Johnson can stay healthy he and JuJu Smith-Schuster will stay ahead of him on the depth chart. But as a No. 3, his ability to take advantage of mismatches in coverage will be something Pittsburgh can use all season long.

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Chase Claypool joins distinguished company to make Steelers history

In a highlight reel kind of day, the rookie receiver made Steelers history — not once, but twice.

With a rushing and receiving touchdown in Sunday’s Steelers-Eagles matchup, wide receiver Chase Claypool made franchise history as a rookie — twice. But he wasn’t the first to do it.

In 1972, running back Franco Harris became the first Steelers rookie to score on the ground and through the air. In a 38-21 win over the Buffalo Bills, Harris finished the game with 155 total yards and three touchdowns.

Speaking of three touchdowns, Claypool also became the first Steelers rookie to score three touchdowns in one game since wide receiver Eric Green in 1990.

But Claypool wasn’t done yet. He scored a fourth, game-winning touchdown with three minutes remaining.

Chase’s day was a highlight reel of its own. He ended the day with 116 total yards and four touchdowns.

Week 5 was the first of what will hopefully be many multi-touchdown games for Claypool.

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Steelers’ Chase Claypool embraces ‘Mapletron’ tag

Chase was tagged with the Mapletron nickname due to his comparative traits to Calvin Johnson and Canada’s national symbol, the maple leaf.

Mapletron. Yes, it’s now what Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool goes by.

The nickname started circulating shortly after the NFL Draft partially because of his Canadian heritage. Mapletron is derived from the national symbol of Canada, the maple leaf. It is also a play on the Transformers character Megatron.

The nickname Megatron originated with former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. It’s partially a nod to the 2021 Hall of Fame nominee, who played for Detroit from 2007 to 2015. Johnson earned the name Megatron because of his combination of height, hands and raw athletic ability.

Since Claypool and Johnson have complementary traits (though Chase is certainly faster), the nickname comparison is legit.

Chase Claypool (courtesy of MockDraftable)

Calvin Johnson (courtesy of MockDraftable)

Lions fans, however, are up in arms about the Mapletron nickname because of the comparison to Chase and their beloved Calvin.

The epithet has certainly caught on. Even the CBS broadcasters referred to Mapletron during the Steelers-Texans game.

Chase, himself, has fully embraced the Mapletron moniker. To take advantage of the hype, he recently started a line of Mapletron-branded merch. You can find items at Chase’s web site TeamClaypool.com.

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Chase Claypool wants the Tennessee Titans to pay

The Steelers’ 2020 rookie class could be in for a hefty dinner bill this weekend.

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Ah, the time-honored “rookie dinner.” A meal that could cost first-year guys upwards of 65 grand is very well what Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool and his fellow rookie class could be facing this weekend.

Claypool has since removed the actual tweet he posted Thursday — he may have gotten a lot of heat for the large gathering that team dinners entail — so we’re thankful to Sunday Night Football for grabbing it.

In jest, Chase tagged the Titans, asking them to pay up for this weekend’s annual rookie dinner.

As we all know by now, there was a COVID outbreak in Tennessee Titans camp that started Tuesday and has gotten worse by the day.

The Steelers-Titans matchup has since been rescheduled for Week 7.

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If the vets can avoid ordering a dozen bottles of 10-year-old cabernet, the six rooks may get off light.

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Chase Claypool continues to be a playmaker in pivotal moments for the Steelers

In Claypool’s first two games, he has five catches for 127 yards and a score.

On Sunday, Chase Claypool showed more of that speed and athleticism that attracted him to the Steelers with a stunning 84-yard touchdown. With his foot straddling the sideline enough that the play was challenged, Claypool got skinny and outran Broncos defenders to bring the score to 14-3.

It was a beautifully-timed 37-yard pass by Ben Roethlisberger — Claypool did not need to hold up but a second to connect with the pass. According to Brooke Pryor at ESPN, just four of Roethlisberger’s previous 20 passes of 30-plus air yards were completed dating back to 2018.

“It was pretty cool because sometimes you hear the play call, and you know you’re going to score or you know the ball’s coming your way,” Claypool said in a postgame press conference. “So that was one of those plays where I knew I had a pretty good chance to get the ball, and I just had to kind of win on the route. And Ben put it in a perfect spot for me to do that. So, it was pretty cool.”

The 84-yard reception is the fourth-longest by a rookie in franchise history. JuJu Smith-Schuster had a 97-yard touchdown in 2017; Martavis Bryant, a 94-yarder in 2014; and Dave Smith (yeah, that Dave Smith) caught an 87-yard touchdown from Terry Bradshaw in 1970.

The NFL communications department dropped a gem of a tidbit on Twitter that Claypool’s touchdown reception marked the longest scrimmage touchdown by a Canadian-born player in league history. Chase hails from Abbotsford, British Columbia, and was a standout receiver at Notre Dame.

The rookie appreciates how the Steelers are bringing him along.

“I think the coaches are doing a really good job in easing me into the games in terms of they haven’t thrown me in the fire, and they’re not asking too much, but to make a play here and there is definitely something I can do,” Claypool said. “And then as the season progresses, I just plan on playing more and more and contributing to that even more.”

In his first two games, Chase has 127 yards receiving on five receptions and a historic score to boot. There are many mouths to feed in Pittsburgh, but if Claypool keeps up the pace or surpasses his per-game average, he could wind up with anywhere from 350 to 850 yards receiving on the season.

Ben and Chase will look to continue that magic versus the Houston Texans Sunday at Heinz Field.

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Pro Football Focus: Steelers WR Chase Claypool is the highest-graded Week 1 rookie

Pro Football Focus handed the highest grade of the 2020 NFL Draft class to Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool.

Pro Football Focus handed down the Week 1 highest grade of the 2020 NFL Draft class to Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool.

Why did Claypool have a 90.2 grade, you ask? It’s simple. Though Ben Roethlisberger only targeted him twice, Claypool’s catch rate was 100 percent (for 39 yards). He also contributed a first-down run for eight yards. For PFF, it’s quality over quantity. It’s a small sampling so far, but we’ll take it.

There are plenty of rookies — including the “other Chase” (Washington Football Team’s defensive end, Chase Young), and Kansas City Chiefs Clyde Edwards-Hellaire — who was far more productive. They two had to be; more was asked of them. Chase just needed to do Chase.

Week 1 was just a glimpse of what we’ll see for, hopefully, 224 more weeks.

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WATCH: Steelers WR Chase Claypool’s first career reception was ‘most improbable completion’ of Week 1

Chase Claypool’s 28-yard catch from Ben Roethlisberger the most improbable catch of Week 1 action.

Can we re-live the beauty of Chase Claypool’s catch for a moment? The rookie got his highlight reel started from his very first catch as a pro.

The Steelers needed something to go their way. After two failed run plays, Ben Roethlisberger fumbled on a third and five and forced a punt.

The defense, as usual, held their own in the Giants next drive. It was up to the Steelers offense to get points on the board, or it was going to be a long night.

Going no-huddle on 3rd and 9, Ben dropped back and aired it out to Claypool, who jumped up between two defenders to haul it in. Claypool’s focus and awareness were that of a veteran.

Defenders closing in on him, Roethlisberger put trust into his newest wide receiver to go up and get the ball. It was a key moment that allowed the drive to continue.

With a 13.8 percent probability of being caught, Claypool’s reception was tracked by Next Gen Stats as the most improbable completion of Week 1.

One of the questions heading into Monday night was how often Claypool would be incorporated into the passing attack. He caught two targets for 39 yards, but the 28-yarder was a thing of beauty. It’s one of many more plays he’ll make in this league, and it was exciting to see.

Here is a frame-by-frame of the stunning catch.

A perfect example of an excellent jump-ball catch.
Claypool controls the ball by pinning it against his helmet.
As Claypool brings the ball down, with control, he ensures both feet are down and in.

 

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