The Steelers have a perfect record, but you won’t find Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster or James Conner on any leader boards. They aren’t putting up ridiculous numbers or breaking statistical records. They aren’t the talk of national sports shows or making splash plays.
They are quietly getting it done.
At this point in 2018 — the last comparable season — the Steelers offense was enjoying 2,927 yards of offense. Big Ben had already put up 2,290 air yards, Conner, 599 and JuJu, 594 yards.
This year, Ben is at 1,446, Conner, 451 and JuJu, 279 yards.
One of the biggest disparities is in fourth-year receiver’s numbers, which have taken a nosedive over the past two seasons. For Smith-Schuster, standing alone as the only undefeated team in the league far outshines yards or receptions per game.
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“I’m happy being 5-0,” Smith-Schuster told the Pittsburgh media last week. “People tell me you only got me two points this week in fantasy. I’d rather have two points and be 5-0 than be 1-5 and have 25 fantasy points.”
“You never know when it’s going to be your time. We know every week we have guys who are ready to go.”
2020 has been a season of efficiency and balance for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead of one or two big-play guys, Roethlisberger shares the wealth — he has 10 different targets to spread the ball around.
It may be a regression in the stat books, but the 6-0 record surely proves that Pittsburgh does not care about passing, receiving and rushing yards. They care only about knocking off the opponent in front of them.
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