State of the Steelers

[SteelersFan2333]

1 hour ago, warfelg said:

On 135 targets. 

Calvin Johnson’s career catch rate was 55.6% , DJs is 61.6%. I don’t care as much about catch rate as I care about having an offense that clicks, scores points, and wins games. DJs problem is he drops catches in important times of the games and can’t figure out which way to run after the catch, I still think he can be a weapon in our offense but he needs to clean it up when it counts. The last couple of years he hasn’t had many WR weapons alongside him, I have big hopes for him this year. That said, I certainly wouldn’t pay him too WR money to keep him here. 

[jebrick]

So you must have enough writers to be considered for the HOF for your first 5 years.  Some writer is going to have to stand up and make a pitch for AB.  Who is that going to be?  Which team did he quit on is going to have a sports writer stand up and make a speech for AB?  When the teams he was on will not vote for him how is that going to play in that room?

This is not Charles Haley who was a complete @$$hole in the locker room but produced time and time again without blowing up his teams.  This guy quit on multiple teams to have a temper tantrum.

[AFF]

2 hours ago, warfelg said:

On 135 targets. 

Considering he had more last year and that target number would’ve ranked 20th last year, I’d be fine with that.

[warfelg]

32 minutes ago, AFF said:

Considering he had more last year and that target number would’ve ranked 20th last year, I’d be fine with that.

I was making tongue in cheek joke. 

[warfelg]

Also I wouldn’t be fine with it. While DJ is a great route runner he doesn’t break big plays often enough to make defenses fear him. 

[AFF]

49 minutes ago, warfelg said:

Also I wouldn’t be fine with it. While DJ is a great route runner he doesn’t break big plays often enough to make defenses fear him. 

He’s a solid #2 WR…hopefully Pickens develops in Dez Bryant 2.0

[warfelg]

25 minutes ago, AFF said:

He’s a solid #2 WR…hopefully Pickens develops in Dez Bryant 2.0

Agreed on the solid #2. I think we learned through 2021-22 he’s not a #1. But that would also mean as a #2 his stat like would like more like 50/750/4. 

[MOSteelers56]

1 hour ago, warfelg said:

Also I wouldn’t be fine with it. While DJ is a great route runner he doesn’t break big plays often enough to make defenses fear him. 

I wonder if this is a DJ thing or a Canada thing? We haven’t had chunk plays since AB and Ben. And absolutely no YAC. 

[warfelg]

17 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

I wonder if this is a DJ thing or a Canada thing? We haven’t had chunk plays since AB and Ben. And absolutely no YAC. 

It’s a DJ thing. Here’s his scouting report overview:

Despite a lack of desired size, Johnson might have the ability to play inside or outside thanks to his speed and ability to elude press from his release. He has basketball athleticism, but his routes will need more focus and less freestyle once he steps up in competition. The athleticism and quickness should allow for a wide range of usage on offense but his hands might always be a concern for him. He's a little small and wasn't as fast or quick at the combine as expected, so Day 3 in the draft is his likely landing spot as a WR3/WR4 talent.
 

And another weakness in this report was playing strength and post catch breakaway. 

[Dcash4]

It’s not a DJ thing…he is pretty down on the list in terms of lack of big plays in the offense.

Ben lost his legs and ability to push down the field, Canada runs a simple drop back game that likes to play to third down, and Kenny doesn’t always read things “correctly” with a pension for going off schedule. 

Lack of big plays are not the issue of the guy who’s at his best running routes in the intermediate to deep space where he creates the most separation. He eats cushion, stacks, and sets up routes better than anyone in this team and a lot of other guys in the league  

Trust is a valid argument. Maybe guys just don’t trust him. But he is targeted enough to not have that be the leading case. 

DJ is available for plenty of chunk plays. 

 

[warfelg]

2 hours ago, Dcash4 said:

Lack of big plays are not the issue of the guy who’s at his best running routes in the intermediate to deep space where he creates the most separation. He eats cushion, stacks, and sets up routes better than anyone in this team and a lot of other guys in the league

This is where I think it’s him. He gets wide open, but your examples of “big play” are ones he doesn’t create for himself. He struggles to get the ball in his hands in these situations and turn it into something big. 

[Dcash4]

17 hours ago, warfelg said:

This is where I think it’s him. He gets wide open, but your examples of “big play” are ones he doesn’t create for himself. He struggles to get the ball in his hands in these situations and turn it into something big. 

Are you only considering things post-catch to be creating? If so, that's fine but we are going to be on different wavelengths. Of the three clips that I shared, only the last yankee concept is a route he isn't the main reason for separation. 

If you are looking for Devin Hester, he isn't that, but neither are most top receivers. he is also in line with the Adams and Diggs of the world in YAC/R through his career. Last year neutered the Steelers passing offense. Really good YAC numbers for receivers are 6+, but good is around the 5 mark. DJ's season by season YAC/R numbers: 5.2, 4.5, 4.9, 2.7. Outside of Steve Sims on his 25 targets, DJ lead the Steelers receivers in YAC. Which is disgusting.

We were 29th in the league in YAC as a team and 32nd in YAC per completion. We were 12th and 25th in 2021, 8th and 19th in 2020, and 22nd and 10th the year we had Mason/Duck at the helm. 

If the thought is that lack of chunk plays is on DJ, I just don't think anything backs that up. It's all over the tape that he is open for potential chunk plays. Finding those three clips of a ball NOT going to him took me about 3 minutes on twitter, but All 22 really tells that story when you can see the whole field. Those clips just to show how much meat was left on the bone. Those three plays at minimum should be 122 yards and 1 TD worth of production. 

[warfelg]

37 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

Are you only considering things post-catch to be creating? If so, that's fine but we are going to be on different wavelengths. Of the three clips that I shared, only the last yankee concept is a route he isn't the main reason for separation. 

No. It was something you didn’t talk about. Also missed throws can be found for every QB so eh. 

[Dcash4]

33 minutes ago, warfelg said:

Also missed throws can be found for every QB so eh. 

They can, and I would be the first to defend QBs for missing guys (see the conversation about Mitch missing Pickens in the Pats game).

But if this is a conversation centered around whether the WR is the main issue in lack of chunk plays I think its relevant that he is continually getting open for those types of plays and not thrown to, especially when he is in the early phase of the progression reads. 

[warfelg]

5 hours ago, Dcash4 said:

They can, and I would be the first to defend QBs for missing guys (see the conversation about Mitch missing Pickens in the Pats game).

But if this is a conversation centered around whether the WR is the main issue in lack of chunk plays I think its relevant that he is continually getting open for those types of plays and not thrown to, especially when he is in the early phase of the progression reads. 

So it’s also relevant that he gets targeted on those with separation and fails to get YAC, correct?

I mean it’s a little bit of both but DJ struggled with this under Fitchner with Ben and other QBs too. Heck he’s only had 10 40+ yard plays in his career.