Stud: The pass rush
Pittsburgh’s pass rush continues terrorizing quarterbacks. The Steelers hunted down Watson on Sunday, racking up five sacks and 12 quarterback hits. T.J. Watt led the way with a sack and four quarterback hits. Bud Dupree also made an impact, recording 1.5 sacks. Dupree had a career-year last season, which led to Pittsburgh franchise tagging him this past offseason.
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If Dupree continues producing at his current rate, the pending free agent will set a single-season high with 13 sacks. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt is also pacing a career-year. He’s headed for a ten-sack season. The Steelers missed Tuitt last season when he only played six games.
Tuitt’s emergence might account for Cameron Heyward’s lack of production in the pass rush. The All-Pro defensive tackle is still dragging down running backs and occasionally applying pressure, but he only has half a sack this year. Watt, Heyward’s primary running mate, has 3.5 sacks in 2020.
Dud: Chase Claypool, WR
The rookie receiver doesn’t deserve a lot of criticism. He’s only three games into his NFL career and went through a shortened offseason. However, the second-round pick only caught one of his four targets on Sunday. Claypool possesses terrific speed for his size, but he lacks consistency at this point and isn’t ready to play a large role in Pittsburgh’s offense.
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s contract ends after this season. The USC product caught four balls for 43 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion on Sunday. He’s the team’s leading receiver through three weeks. If the Steelers plan on not re-signing Smith-Schuster, they better know Claypool can replace the former Pro Bowler’s production.