Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Takeaways vs. Vikings in Week 2
By Donnie Druin
3. Steelers Depth at Receiver Starting to Shine
One of the main strengths of Pittsburgh coming out of camp was the talent the Steelers possessed on the wide receiver side of the depth chart. The Vikings-Steelers matchup awarded fans with a rare glimpse to see an elite cornerback (Xavier Rhodes) lined up across from an elite receiver (Antonio Brown). The battle between Rhodes and Brown, who were once teammates at Miami Norland High School, didn’t disappoint. Brown, who was targeted 11 times, caught a mere five passes for 62 yards. Despite the decent numbers on paper, Rhodes did a phenomenal job limiting Brown’s potential damage.
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As superb of a job Rhodes did against Brown, the rest of the Vikings secondary was left out to dry against the Steelers receiving corps. Martavis Bryant provided a 91-yard performance, including the game’s first touchdown, JuJu Smith-Schuster notched the first touchdown of his career, and slot receiver Eli Rogers consistently delivered when Roethlisberger needed a play by a receiver.
Pittsburgh didn’t seek to destroy the Vikings by passing the football. Brown wasn’t the factor he normally was, thanks in-part to great coverage and game planning. Additionally, Roethlisberger missed a few throws. By no means was this Steelers aerial assault the reason for Sunday’s success. Yet, if your No. 1 receiver is virtually not impacting the game on the stat sheet and you’re still able to move the ball effectively through the air, that speaks volumes to the pass-catchers you have.
Had the Steelers lacked the needed depth at receiver, the outcome may indeed have been different. Pittsburgh will undoubtedly continue to lean on Brown given his abilities. However, all preseason we heard how dangerous this group could be, and Week 2 provided us with a small taste of what has yet to come.