The Pittsburgh Steelers’ slot-wide receiver production was such a black hole it should be studied by scientists. I want every 6th-grade classroom to wheel in that comically large television and spend a Friday listening to Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Michio Kaku explain the void of nothingness the Steelers’ offense left there last season.
The Steelers’ three main slot receivers throughout 2022 were Chase Claypool, Gunner Olszewski, and Steven Sims. Based solely off slot production, here were their numbers with Pittsburgh.
Claypool: 23 receptions, 233 yards 1 TD
Olszewski: 5 receptions, 53 yards
Sims: 12 receptions, 91 yards
Total the three and you get…drumroll please: 40 receptions, 377 yards (9.4 YPC) 1 TD.
Which is less of a drumroll, more of a sad trombone sound. To be fair, I’m looking at this a bit more narrowly, not including Diontae Johnson or anyone else’s slot snaps but they aren’t primarily slot guys. They serve other purposes in Pittsburgh’s offense. Nor does this count TE Pat Freiermuth, active between the numbers, but he can’t be the only one, especially given his concussion history.
Claypool was an awkward fit in Pittsburgh’s offense and was shipped off to Chicago at the trade deadline. Olszewski and Sims were next men up and combined for more rushing attempts (21) than receptions (17). That alone tells you all you need to know. They spent most of their season running horizontally pre-snap as part of Matt Canada’s motions, sometimes carrying the ball, sometimes acting as a decoy and window dressing. None of it was enough to help Pittsburgh’s offense in any meaningful way. Too often, it felt like they were playing with just ten men on the field.
That’s poised to change in 2023. Allen Robinson II was traded for. Calvin Austin III is healthy and ready to hit the field. Those are two different body types and styles, Robinson the crafty zone-beater, Austin the versatile playmaker. Both should cure the team’s ills inside. They don’t have to produce gaudy numbers. They just need to be consistent and do their jobs. Robinson a chain-mover, Austin a field-flipper. That’ll open up the offense so much more and Pittsburgh will again be playing with a full deck.
Couple that with the rest of the Steelers’ skill players and an improved offensive line, and Pittsburgh’s production should rise. Of course, it all looks good on paper and Robinson and Austin come with their own questions. Robinson is nearly 30 and coming off foot surgery while Austin missed his whole rookie year, also with a foot problem. But in theory, they offer a lot more than Claypool/Olszewski/Sims and should round out Pittsburgh’s weapons nicely.
