Which player will lead the Steelers in receiving in 2020?

The Pittsburgh Steelers need more consistency from their receivers in 2020.

Following the whole Antonio Brown charade that was the 2019 offseason, it was presumed that JuJu Smith-Schuster would flourish in the featured receiver role.

Afterall, Smith-Schuster led the team in receiving yards in 2018 with 1,426 to Brown’s 1,297. The transition would be smooth, right?

In a perfect world, probably.

In six quarters with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, Smith-Schuster caught 11 of 16 targets for 162 yards. He was on pace for a 1,280-yard season.

Then Roethlisberger went down for the season, and the Mason Rudolph-Devlin Hodges carousel began — a less than ideal scenario for Smith-Schuster to excel.

The receiver suffered what would ultimately be a season-ending knee injury in Week 12 with 552 yards and three touchdowns to his name.

Will he bounce back in 2020 and lead the corps in receptions, or will it be another wideout?

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2020 NFL draft: WR Laviska Shenault NFL draft profile

Steelers Wire draft profile featuring Laviska Shenault (WR, Colorado)

During Laviska Shenault, Jr.’s three seasons with the Colorado Buffalos, he accumulated 1,943 yards on 149 receptions and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 280 yards and added another seven touchdowns on the ground. On special teams, he returned a punt 55 yards for a score as a freshman and a kick 54 yards for a score.

Those numbers lead many to believe that Shenault is the most versatile receiver in the 2020 draft. Early mock drafts projected Shenault to go in the first round. Due to durability issues and questionable production, however, his stock may fall. It’s inevitable that players get injured – it can happen to any player at any time. Were the receiver’s modest collegiate stats could be due to the lack of a playmaker at QB? Should Shenault land with a team with a pass-heavy offense, we’ll get our answer.

Shenault possesses key attributes of a successful receiver – speed, explosiveness, and physicality. The areas that need to be developed – route-running, ball-tracking, and blocking – can be honed through experience and proper coaching at the pro level.

Laviska Shenault | WR | Colorado

Height | 6-2

Weight | 220

Class | Junior

College Bio

College Stats

It’s no secret that the Steelers love to draft receivers. Since taking over as general manager in 2000, Kevin Colbert has selected 22 receivers – only 2003, 2004 and 2011 were receiver-less drafts.

The Steelers have depth at the position; however, with JuJu Smith-Schuster set to become a free agent in 2021 and inconsistent film from Dionte Johnson and James Washington, Pittsburgh may want to snag the top-rated Shenault with its first pick (49th).

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2020 NFL draft: WR Tee Higgins NFL draft profile

Steelers Wire draft profile featuring wide receiver Tee Higgins (Clemson Tigers)

Tamaurice “Tee” Higgins, a projected first-round wide receiver, graduated Tennessee’s Oak Ridge High School as a five-star recruit. He initially committed to the University of Tennessee before changing to Clemson University.

Higgins appeared in seven games his freshman year and entered his sophomore season as a starter. Following a spectacular performance in his junior year, Higgins announced he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson University

Height | 6-4

Weight | 216

Class | Junior

College Bio

College Stats

In 30 starts (43 games) at Clemson, Higgins compiled 2,448 yards on 135 receptions. He scored a touchdown on 20 percent of his catches at Clemson, which resulted in being tied for the most receiving touchdowns in school history (27) with NFL stars DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. Higgins left Clemson as the only player in school history to record double-digit touchdown receptions in consecutive seasons.

Higgins can play in all three receiver spots — X, slot, and Z — which makes him a valuable asset to any team.

In a draft class that is chock-full of talented receiver prospects, Higgins has all the tangibles — size, speed, and pass-catching — to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

Several teams are looking to upgrade at the receiver position, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently without a first-round pick. As we know, though, anything can happen. The Steelers are known to draft receivers high, and 2020 will be no different. Should the unlikely happen and Higgins is still available at 49, Pittsburgh will have themselves a towering target for Ben Roethlisberger. The versatile receiver would be an excellent addition to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Dionte Johnson, and James Washington.

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Jets CB Arthur Maulet fined for unnecessary roughness in win over Steelers

The NFL fined Jets cornerback Arthur Maulet $21,056 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in New York’s 16-10 win over the Steelers.

The NFL fined Jets cornerback Arthur Maulet $21,056 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in New York’s 16-10 win over the Steelers last weekend.

Maulet dragged down Steelers wide receiver James Washington with a horse-collar tackle. Washington hobbled directly off the field to the trainer’s table after the ugly play.

Washington returned to Sunday’s contest and caught five passes of his eight targets for 41 yards. He missed out on a chance for possibly the game-winning score when Jets safety Marcus Maye broke up what would have been a 44-yard touchdown on Pittsburgh’s final drive.

Despite the NFL digging into his pocket, Maulet has been a nice addition to the Jets secondary with the team reeling at the cornerback position.

Formerly with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, Maulet signed a reserve/future contract with New York back in January 2019. In Week 3, Maulet made his first mark in green and white by returning a muffed punt for a touchdown in the Jets 30-14 loss in New England.

New York subsequently waived Maulet on Oct. 15 but re-signed him to the team’s practice squad. The Jets promoted him to the active roster at the end of the month with Trumaine Johnson placed on injured reserve and Daryl Roberts sidelined.

Maulet has nursed a calf injury of his own but has made the most of his opportunity, despite his ugly tackle in Week 15. It would be surprising if he wasn’t back with Gang Green in 2020, being a camp body at the very least.

Limiting Steelers’ running game among 4 keys to Jets defense

The potential return of Jamal Adams and Quinnen Williams should help the Jets defense stop the Steelers running game.

After getting shellacked by the Ravens last week, the Jets have had ample time to prepare for a Steelers squad whose playoff hopes are on life support.

New York is getting healthy on defense and could see the return of at least three key contributors this weekend. The game carries little meaning in the grand scheme of things, but a solid showing against Pittsburgh could help bolster the team’s mentality heading into the offseason as it gears up for next season.

The Steelers are a strange team. Their offense should be one of the best in the league with solid weapons in the receiving and running game, but they’ve struggled at times throughout the season due in large part to a rash of injuries. Nevertheless, they sit at 8-6 with a shot at the playoffs. They’re starting undrafted free agent rookie Devlin Hodges once again, who has struggled at times but remains 3-1 as a starter.

This game won’t define the Jets’ season, but it could define the Steelers if New York can hold off Pittsburgh. With that being said, here are four keys to the Jets defense in Week 16.

Sack the duck

The Steelers’ offense has been hit-or-miss with Devlin Hodges under center, but the Bills showed everyone this past week that pressuring Hodges can limit his ability to run the offense.

The Bills sacked Hodges four times last week and the young Steelers quarterback finished with four turnovers, and a 43.9 quarterback rating in a costly 17-10 loss.

The Jets haven’t been great at getting to the quarterback lately and could struggle against a Steelers offensive line that has allowed the 25th-most sacks in the league this season. Sacks will be hard to come by, but just pressuring Hodges might be enough to slow down Pittsburgh’s offense.

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Steelers vs Week 14 Gut Reactions

My observations and reactions to the Pittsburgh Steelers week 14 win against the Arizona Cardinals.

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Steelers took care of business against a competitive Arizona Cardinals team in week 14. The defense continued to roll holding their fifth straight opponent to 21 or fewer points. Devlin Hodges turned in an efficient performance and became the first rookie undrafted free-agent quarterback to win his first three starts. The Steelers have won seven of their last eight games and control their playoff destiny. Here are my gut reactions:

Beating the Odds

It was good to see the Steelers actually get to play with a lead. The offensive game plan was still conservative, Hodges finished with 16 completions and a touchdown on 19 attempts, but that was good enough for a win. Just as important as Hodges 152 passing yards was the fact that he didn’t turn the ball over.

Hodges’ contributions as a rusher shouldn’t be overlooked either. He scrambled five times for 34 yards and ironically outrushed counterpart Kyler Murray. Hodges an undrafted free agent beat the first overall draft pick at his own game, but his solid performance was overshadowed by Dionte Johnson’s breakout day.

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Fantasy football: 5 sleepers to start, 5 starters to sit in Week 14

Fantasy football Sleepers, sits, starts, ahead of Week 14.

It’s crunch time in fantasy football.

A little scouting and you can avoid a crucial late-season loss or do just enough to cross the finish line with a win this week. We’ve got you covered with a quick scouting report to help you out.

Here are five sleepers to start and five starters you’ve got to sit in fantasy football Week 14:

Starts

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

QB Tom Brady

Things aren’t going well for the Patriots. Correction: Things aren’t going well for the Patriots offense. Their defense had led them to their 10-2 record. But this could be a good game to have faith in Tom Brady. The Chiefs have an offense that could put up some points even against a stout defense such as New England’s, plus Brady played well against the Kansas City defense twice last season. He had 340 yards and two scores in that game, which was also a home game for him.

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9 fantasy football sleepers for Week 14

Quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Devlin Hodges highlight Touchdown Wire’s Week 14 list of fantasy football sleepers.

NFL coaches and players always talk about how the playoffs bring a whole new level of intensity. It’s true.

The same is true of fantasy football and its playoffs are now upon us. At this point, you have to go for broke. Sometimes, desperate measures are needed. That sums up what the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars are doing in reality.

The Jaguars have no margin for error for the playoffs. The Steelers don’t have much more room for error. But they’re going with rookie quarterbacks Devlin Hodges in Pittsburgh and Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville for the rest of the season.

Are they good enough to start in fantasy? I say yes.

Let me explain my reasoning a little deeper as Hodges and Minshew highlight Touchdown Wire’s weekly list of nine fantasy football sleepers.

9. Gardner Minshew, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars benched high-priced quarterback Nick Foles last week after falling behind, 25-0, last week. The turned back to the rookie Minshew, who went 4-4 as a starter when Foles was injured early in the season and he sparked the Jaguars to two quick scores. That led to the Jaguars announcing that Minshew will be the starter the rest of the season. Minshew has a favorable matchup against the struggling Los Angeles Chargers this week.

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6 waiver wire pickups for fantasy football in Week 14

Waiver wire targets in Week 14.

In most league formats, Week 14 marks the last week of the regular fantasy football season. Your last chance to add and drop players who will or will not be with your team for the crucial playoff weeks. Perhaps you do not need to add anyone and you have been rolling with the same guys all year. In that case, consider yourself lucky.

Being active on the waiver wire is always one of the biggest keys to building a playoff contender, and that continues to hold true as the fantasy season hits the final stretch.

Here are six waiver wire pickups to target entering Week 14:

RB Raheem Mostert: 14.1% rostered (ESPN)

In what was once a crowded backfield in San Francisco with Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman having a majority of the carries, it was hard to judge which 49ers running back would be worth adding. Mostert has survived the injury bug that has started to attack this 49ers offense and has taken over as the lead back.

Against Baltimore in Week 13, Mostert totaled 19 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown in a downpour that lasted all game. Mostert brings a dynamic speed and toughness aspect to this young 49ers team.

The upcoming schedule isn’t great, but Mostert has flex appeal—especially if something happens to Coleman and/or Breida.

Next game: at New Orleans

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Tunnel Vision of Week 13

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks	Yards	TD
Ryan Fitzpatrick	365 – 2	3
Aaron Rodgers	243 – 24	4
Kyle Allen	278 – 22	3
Dak Prescott	355 – 25	2
Carson Wentz	310 – 0	3
Running Backs	Yards	TD
Derrius Guice	137	2
Derrick Henry	166	1
Raheem Mostert	154	1
Peyton Barber	44	2
James White	177	2
Wide Receivers	Yards	TD
Devante Parker	159	2
Kenny Golladay	158	1
Alshon Jeffery	137	1
Courtland Sutton	74	2
Davante Adams	64	2
Tight Ends	Yards	TD
Tyler Higbee	107	1
Mike Gesicki	79	1
Jack Doyle	73	1
Jason Witten	42	1
Mark Andrews	50	1
Placekickers	XP	FG
Will Lutz	2	4
Brandon McManus	2	3
Jason Sanders	2 (+TD)	1
Jake Elliott	2	3
Dustin Hopkins	2	3
Defense	Sck-TO	TD
Buccaneers	5-4	1
Saints	9-3	0
Chiefs	2-3	1
Titans	3-3	1
Rams	5-1	1

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

TE Greg Olsen – Concussion
RB Kalen Ballage – Leg
WR Chester Rogers – Knee
WR Trey Quinn – Concussion
RB Darrel Williams – Hamstring
QB Baker Mayfield – Hand

Chasing Ambulances

Another light week with nothing major happening on the injury front.

TE Greg Olsen – Out with a concussion that looked significant at the time. He’d give way to Ian Thomas if Olsen misses time and Thomas turned in four catches for 24 yards in the loss to the Redskins. But at this point of the season, it’s a non-event.

RB Kalen Ballage – This is the worst backfield so it doesn’t really matter. Myles Gaskin ran for 20 yards on two carries but Patrick Laird would pick up more work and he only ran for five yards on ten carries. Nothing here to bring into fantasy playoffs.

RB Darrel Williams – The Chiefs’ backfield is a mess and Williams only gained 13 yards on six runs before his hamstring injury that happened when he was untouched. Damien Williams could be back this week anyway and LeSean McCoy takes his cut. The only interesting outcome was letting Darwin Thompson run for 44 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushes. Again – not a lot here to rely on for fantasy playoffs.

QB Baker Mayfield – He appeared to hit his hand on a helmet and had an x-ray taken. He returned to the game so it is a non-event pending any further concerns this week in practice.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR Anthony Miller – Taylor Gabriel was out with a concussion which elevated Miller in the win over the Lions. While he has yet to score a 2019 touchdown, Miller turned in a career-best 140 yards on nine catches last Thursday. And that follows two weeks of six-catch performances.

WR Cole Beasley – Saved his best for playing his ex-employer. Beasley hung six catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in Dallas but that makes a score in five of the last seven games and over 70 yards in three of his last four. As great as that sounds, facing BAL, @PIT, @NE, and NYJ sound like temper expectations.

Bills backfield – Said it many times before but it still kills me. Devin Singletary runs for 63 yards on 14 carries while Frank Gore still is given nine runs to gain 11 yards. I want Singletary next year when Gore is gone. Unless they bring in yet another aging back to slow down the offense.

RB Raheem Mostert – He was on a streak of games with only six carries but in Week 12, he gained 45 yards and scored. In Baltimore, Mostert was the only player with notable statistics when he ran for 146 yards on 19 carries and scored once. He added two catches for eight yards. Tevin Coleman was held to only six yards on five rushes. That’s hard to rely on playing at the Saints this week, but he looked clearly superior to Coleman.

RB Derrius Guice – He torched the Panthers for 129 yards and two touchdowns on just ten rushes and added two receptions for eight yards. Adrian Peterson also gained 99 yards and a score on 13 carries but it was against the Panthers and their No. 27 ranked defense versus running backs. Even better, the Redskins head to Green Bay this week to face the No. 30 defense against the position.

WR D.J. Moore – The Panthers wideout just caught six passes for 75 yards and one score in the loss to the Redskins. For the last five games, he’s totaled more fantasy points than any other wideout besides Jarvis Landry. And next week he faces the No. 30 defense versus wideouts in the Falcons.

QB Sam Darnold – After scoring six touchdowns over the previous two games, Darnold was held to only 239 yards and no scores by the Bengals. That calls into question if the Redskins and Raiders matchups were just a function of bad secondaries. This week they host the Dolphins but that doesn’t look as inviting as it once did. One plus – Robby Anderson still caught seven passes for 101 yards while all other receivers did very little.

QB Andy Dalton – Took his start and brought a win to the Bengals since they still own the worst record, just not a win-less record. With the Dolphins and both meetings with the Browns left o play, the Bengals have to decide if they want to risk that No. 1 overall pick next April.

RB Marlon Mack – Targeting this week to return. The Colt need him since the backfield is now a mess with Jordan Wilkins (11-47), Nyheim Hines (4-22, TD) and Jonathan Williams (8-14) canceling each other out in the loss to the Titans.

TE Jack Doyle – Eric Ebron landed on injured reserve and that left Doyle as the lone receiving tight end. He turned in six catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. His 11 targets were more than any other Colt. And this week, he plays the Buccaneers that are ranked No. 31 versus tight ends.

QB Nick Foles – Facing the Buccaneers has been a gift for almost every opposing quarterback but Foles completed just 7-of-14 for 93 yards, with one interception and two lost fumbles by half time. He was benched so that Gardner Minshew could throw for 147 yards and one score in the second half. Now the problem is who plays in Week 14? The rookie or the $88M quarterback?

RB Ronald Jones – He was held to only eight yards on six carries while Peyton ~~Freaking~~ Barber was given 17 carries to gain 44 yards and two touchdowns. Just when you think it may be safe to trust Jones. You cannot.

WR Alshon Jeffery – Missed two games with an ankle injury but returned to post nice catches for 167 yards and a score in the loss to the Dolphins. This was the first time he’s played as well as he did in 2018. The Dolphins secondary was missing several players, so it’s likely a one-game aberration.

WR James Washington – The change to Devlin Hodges the last two weeks resulted in Washington logging 98 yards and a score at the Bengals and then 111 yards and a touchdown on Sunday versus the Browns. Even better, the Steelers face the Cardinals this week.

WR Robert Woods – He still has not caught a touchdown but he posted 95 yards in Week 10 before disappearing in Week 11 for unknown personal reasons. His return in Week 12 saw him catch six passes for 97 yards against the Ravens. On Sunday, he caught 13 passes for 172 yards. You do not need touchdowns with those sort of stats.

Cardinals backfield – The loss to the Rams meant less rushing anyway, but the backfield had Kenyan Drake, Chase Edmond, and David Johnson available. They elected to never use Edmonds, and run Drake 13 times for 31 yards and Johnson gained 15 yards on four rushes. Both Drake and Johnson caught two short passes. The remaining schedule – PIT, CLE, @SEA, and @LAR – all go against Top-12 defenses versus running backs.

QB Drew Lock – The Broncos opted to start their 2.10 pick in Lock, and the rookie responded with two touchdowns to Courtland Sutton in the first quarter. He ended with only 134 passing touchdowns and those two scores. But he helped lead the Broncos to the eventual win. He’ll need to throw in Houston and Kansas City next, but the first quarter is over and there isn’t enough there to merit any consideration.

TE Darren Waller – Led the Raiders with seven catches for 100 yards in the beatdown by the Chiefs. His nine targets were more than double anyone else and Tyrell Williams ended with only one catch for nine yards. The Raiders can no longer connect with wideouts and the top three receivers were two tight ends and the running back DeAndre Washington.

Huddle player of the week

Devante Parker – This is simply mind-blowing. Devante Parker was already the only receiver worth covering for the Dolphins but he caught seven passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Those were his first scores since Week 9 but Parker’s making the most of his opportunity after Preston Williams left in Week 10. He helped win a lot of fantasy games this week – if he was in the starting lineups.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy		Yards	TDs	Tragedy		Yards	TDs
QB	Ryan Fitzpatrick	367	3	QB	Drew Brees	184	1
RB	Raheem Mostert	154	1	RB	Aaron Jones	31	0
RB	Peyton Barber	44	2	RB	Ronald Jones	8	0
WR	Allen Lazard	103	1	WR	Odell Beckham	29	0
WR	Anthony Miller	140	0	WR	Chris Godwin	50	0
WR	Curtis Samuel	65	1	WR	Michael Thomas	48	0
TE	Tyler Higbee	107	1	TE	Hunter Henry	10	0
PK	Will Lutz	2 XP 4 FG		PK	Brett Maher	1 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 141				Huddle Fantasy Points = 29

Now get back to work…