In this week’s installment of the drop report, we have two plays to talk about for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I have officially logged them as dropped passes in both instances. The first came from the sure-handed running back James Conner on a bit of an overthrown ball, the other coming from Ryan Switzer on his only target in the game, and his second drop of the year on limited work.
Conner’s play came early in the game. On a first-down play from the Steelers’ 45-yard line, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger attempted to float the ball to the running back as he faded to the flat. The pass was delivered a bit high, but the target counted on making a one-handed effort that proved to be too much.
While this was a target under less than ideal circumstances, it was a pass that was catchable. Had he made a more concerted effort to play the ball with both hands, he likely makes the reception. Perhaps he was hoping to make a one-handed catch that actually counts.
However, it’s important to note that he went on to catch his other five targets in the game, and despite his average depth of target actually being behind the line of scrimmage, he produced 66 total yards, all of them going for over 10 yards.
The second drop of the game against the Cleveland Browns was far more straightforward. Switzer, who has variably been the fourth or fifth wide receiver, had a pass that he was staring down all the way go right off his hands and onto the ground.
The second-year wide receiver ran a short in-breaking route against Brien Boddy-Calhoun, easily creating separation, leaving him with both space and time to put his full focus on bringing in the ball.
That proved to be the one thing he would fail to do on the play, extending his hands in front of his frame perpendicular to the pass’s trajectory, bobbling it. It may have bounced off of his facemask as well.
