Cleveland Browns: 3 Steelers to watch in Week 6

JuJu Smith-Schuster

If the Pittsburgh Steelers do one thing better than the rest of the league it is drafting and developing wide receivers. They do not chase names in free agency, they do not trade for superstars, they simply draft and develop. Look no further than their latest rookie to emerge from the ranks of the unknown to blossoming superstar, Chase Claypool.

But Claypool is not who Browns fans should be keeping an eye on this Sunday, it’s JuJu Smith-Schuster. With the announcement that Diontae Johnson will miss the Week 6 contest, Smith-Schuster’s role will be vital to Pittsburgh’s success in the passing game. The Browns’ kryptonite is receivers that are adept at running shallow crossers underneath coverage, and that is something that Smith-Schuster excels at.

Smith-Schuster is a rare example of a receiver being selected by the Steelers with a relatively high draft pick.  He was also aided by the fact he was able to develop while seeing each team’s second-best corner while, then Steeler, Antonio Brown received all the attention. Now with Brown long gone, Smith-Schuster finds himself the team’s number one receiver (for the time being), and he has the full trust of Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger will lull the defense to sleep by dinking and dunking short passes over the middle to a streaking Smith-Schuster and then attack the third level with Claypool. Unfortunately, that is a recipe for success against a struggling Browns secondary who will be without safeties Ronnie Harrison and Karl Joseph. In order to make up for their teammate’s shortcomings, Denzel Ward and Terrance Mitchell are both going to have a ton on their plates on Sunday.