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The Real JuJu

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Blast Furnace, May 1, 2020.

  1. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    I’m not going to get into whether there was something going on between the two because it can’t be proven. I will say the success JW had after the comment was made had more to do with how they used him(targeted him) as opposed to anything Ben said. JW is a humble ,hardworking kid. I don’t think he needed a boost to get him to work harder. I’m sure if you go back and compare the targets before and after you will find he was given more high % targets after. In the beginning almost all his opportunities were on deep passes which are naturally low % opportunities. I don’t think it’s coincidence that this past year he was more successful because he was being used on short,intermediate and on long passes and that’s with poor QB play. The problem year one was his routes were too predictable. JW has the talent. Let’s see what happens with it this year.
     
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  2. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I’m thinking that was more Lance Moore than Ben. His best season ever was 2012 with 1041 yards. Closest he ever came to that was 2008 with 928 yards. The year before we got him, he had 457 yards. With us he had 198 yards, the year after with Detroit he had 328 yards and then out of league. Maybe the Saints knew it was time for him to go.
     
  3. SteelersFanIrl

    SteelersFanIrl Well-Known Member

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    I’d be very surprised if there is an underlying issue between the two that will carry over to next season. There was a good reason JW wasn’t highly targeted his rookie year, look at all the guys that were ahead of him, AB and Juju were on fire that year.

    Whatever issue was there should be water under the bridge now, everyone wants to win and I think both Ben and JW have a big role to play in that offence.
     
  4. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Washington did not lead the Steelers in receptions last year. Johnson did. Now perhaps you switched from talking about his receptions as a rookie to his yardage last season, but that wasn't clear and it doesn't make sense when what you were actually getting into is opportunities, which are best measured by targets. Johnson had more than Washington last year.

    You are also ignoring other factors that caused the increase in Washington's targets. One was that he simply got a lot better, which is common for second-year players. The other is that the team lost Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster was off his game or hurt much of the season, which opened up a large percentage of the team's targets. They also had a lower percentage of their passing attempts going to the tight ends.

    It's not as if Washington was constantly running free in the secondary and Roethlisberger wasn't giving him the ball because he doesn't like the kid. If Roethlisberger was going to put the ball up and give his receiver a shot at a combat catch in 2018, of course it was going to be Brown and Smith-Schuster ahead of Washington. People made way too big of a deal of the issue between the two then and some still haven't gotten past it.
     
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  5. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    That is also how I saw it. I was very disappointed in Moore's lack of production with the Steelers, but it sure seems like he was just at the end of the line.
     
  6. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    Ha ha yeah I am sure this will open old wounds and yes you are right no sense in rehashing all this again. I did state before and I will again don't tell me he runs through it he catches it nobody knows that and I have no problem with the dive. Where the problem is is when people say the tough love crap and how he played better after that. I call BS it all that, hard to play good when you get targeted 25 times in like 8 games.....come on.

    Anyways like you say no need to go back there but I will is anyone wants to or we can just copy and paste our posts from the thread I linked....lol. I agree with you an JW has proven himself capable but I am afraid you are going to be right him and Ben just never clicked and might not ever. :smiley1:
     
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  7. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    Yardage not receptions.........
     
  8. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    I said this before when many were piling on cause Ben can't do no wrong in some's eyes. On them 25 targets show me the ones that were Bens fault and ones that were JW fault..........nobody myself included provided that info. What I can tell you is many of them 25 passes were very uncatchable and I even remember one was behind him and he did get a hand on it.......some will say he got a hand on it he should of caught it.......I say lets go play a game and I will throw some passes to you know it all wanna be wr's!!!!!!! Ok better stop I am sure I have made the BBBL pissed already and am now shaking up the hive............:hehehe:
     
  9. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    The only issue Ben will have with Washington is if he is running wrong routes or not catching the ball. He called him out to be better like he did Martavis, AB, who knows who else. Many theories have been postulated on the incidents but I just think that's Ben's leadership style. :shrug:
     
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  10. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    :facepalm:


    Auto-correct strikes again!! :lolol::drinks:
     
  11. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    It was pretty obvious he just had to run through that. When the play happened live I was shouting at the TV “wtf are you diving, Washington!” Then when his coaches, Ben and other players say he just has to run through that, that’s all you need to know JW screwed up there. He’s a rookie and made a mistake, don’t know what that’s hard to accept.
     
  12. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    Like I said I didn't have a problem with the dive but to sit here and hear people say......."all he had to do was run through" it would have been a catch is a effin joke. Should he have dove maybe maybe not but even if he didn't don't act like it was a catch.....please stop. Love all the know it all wr's lmao .....of course a better thrown ball......oh wait right if I said that I am a Ben hatter not a BBBL. :smiley1:
     
  13. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Yeah, what does Tomlin know or Ben or any number of people who actually have played in the NFL that said the same thing, what do they know :lolol:

    Of course, JW couldn’t catch a cold that season so you may be right, might not have caught it anyway but running through the catch was still the right thing to do.
     
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  14. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Clearly, you didn't read the post.

    Washington did not lead the Steelers in receptions last year. Johnson did. Now perhaps you switched from talking about his receptions as a rookie to his yardage last season, but that wasn't clear and it doesn't make sense when what you were actually getting into is opportunities, which are best measured by targets. Johnson had more than Washington last year.

    You are also ignoring other factors that caused the increase in Washington's targets. One was that he simply got a lot better, which is common for second-year players. The other is that the team lost Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster was off his game or hurt much of the season, which opened up a large percentage of the team's targets. They also had a lower percentage of their passing attempts going to the tight ends.

    It's not as if Washington was constantly running free in the secondary and Roethlisberger wasn't giving him the ball because he doesn't like the kid. If Roethlisberger was going to put the ball up and give his receiver a shot at a combat catch in 2018, of course it was going to be Brown and Smith-Schuster ahead of Washington. People made way too big of a deal of the issue between the two then and some still haven't gotten past it.
     
  15. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    Yep great question there just what does Ben or Tomlin know...........lmao :hehehe:

    Totally disagree about JW not catching anything that year, if Mr. perfect didn't act likke a little baby maybe we would have seen if that was true. Like I said before and I will keep saying 8 out of 25 in 8 games or whatever it was is a hard way to judge if a guy can catch a ball especially when they were very uncatchable..........
     
  16. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    In case you haven't figured it out don't care much for what you post so yes I stop when you where trying to correct me. I was talking about yards not receptions.....carry on!
     
  17. Busman

    Busman

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    I agree especially the bit about Juju having other interests. My daughter was always sending me instagrams of juju jumping and running and doing all sorts of non related football stuff. She would ask me how is it that Juju can dive into water, hike and shoot hoops but cant make it to the field healthy. Great question with no real concrete comprehensible answer.
     
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  18. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    I was just making sure we were clear that you were choosing to stick with the nonsensical position, because you can’t seem to accept the fact that Washington just wasn’t very good as a rookie.
     
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  19. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Why 8 games?

    For the season it was 525 snaps, 36 targets for 14 receptions. Reception rate of 44%

    14 games because he was benched for 2 after he failed to run through the catch :taunt:
     
  20. NY STEELERFAN

    NY STEELERFAN Well-Known Member

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    I am saying 8 games cause if my memory is right that was before the Denver game. I remember when this happened 8 for 25 was what I kept posting.....you know after the Denver game when Ben could have thrown a better ball........:hehehe::hehehe::hehehe::roflmao:
     
  21. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    If you are going to compare seasons, using all of the statistics from a given season makes the most sense.
     
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  22. Chainmover1

    Chainmover1 Well-Known Member

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    AskQuestionsLater said:

    With Chase being a "Thermonuclear Launch Code" and Diontae slicing and dicing underneath, Juju will have more one on ones this seasons that I would imagine even he did not think possible. Adding Ben into the equation makes Juju likely Pro Bowl bound this time around. :)
    2020 Steelers Rookie Stat Line Predictions:

    1.) Chase Claypool: 55 Catches, 650 Yards, 11.8 YPC, 8 TD

    2.) Alex Highsmith: 17 tackles (10 Special Teams), 2 Sacks, 1 Pass Defensed, 1 Fumble Recovery

    3.) Anthony McFarland: 39 rushes for 275 yards, 7.05 YPC, 17 catches for 100 yards, 5.8 YPC

    ---Hmm! Sounds like the optimism and enthusiasm of the 60's. Unfortunately, it just never seemed to work out then.

    But I agree and think this year will be different. Still, banking on a Rookie [Chase] to be what the doctor ordered is usually not a given.

    Nonetheless, it's a great concept and should work.
     
  23. burghfan58

    burghfan58 Well-Known Member

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    I beleive JuJu will be back this year and playing up to his potential. I honestly beleive that if AB hadn't had his mental breakdown episodes and still been on the team, we would have signed JuJu over AB without batting and eye. If you would have had to choose between a 23 yo JuJu or a 33 yo AB, it would be JuJu hands down all day every day. I am afraid we let him walk when his rookie contract is up he is going to ball out for someone else. Guarantee, he would end up in our own division with our luck.
     
  24. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    I respectfully disagree.



    Not having a Deep Threat last season is one of many reasons why the Steelers Offense stalled into a slow crawl. James Washington was supposed to be that but could not do so. That said however, he did have a good year two despite the issues that was at the Quarterback Position.



    As a result, JuJus Production faltered as a result. Without having that Deep Threat to aide him, JuJu essentially was left to do, basically everything by himself. Keep in mind that JuJu was not drafted to stretch the field but to move the sticks. He is a physical Receiver who is best operated in short to medium range positions of the field. Long range is not his strong suit.




    Chase Claypool gives JuJu that additional support by forcing the oppositions Safety to shade to his side. Now with two people focused on preventing the deep ball, JuJu will have the one on one matchups. From there, it is all up to him. For the most part, JuJu has done well in that regard.



    Now, is JuJu a number one receiver?!?! Time to find out. Keep in mind that if Chase Claypool is to benefit JuJu, the same must be applied for Diontae Johnson.
     
  25. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    It was too easy last year for teams to just take away JuJu since there was no one else. Give him some support, and his production should go up. But, expecting Clayool to do that this year with all the practice restrictions, it’s not realistic.
     
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