JuJu Smith-Schuster's advice to Randy Fichtner: Run the football
Here’s a first, or at the very least a very rare occurrence in the NFL: Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster went to offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner during
the Steelers’ 24-17 victory over the Chargers on Sunday night and told him to keep running the ball.
“You saw this last game, we dominated in the run game,” Smith-Schuster said. “That was amazing. I was like, ‘Coach, keep running the ball. It works. Get the ball to our running backs because they’re making plays for us.’ ”
How many times do you think Antonio Brown spoke those words? He once
tossed a Gatorade cooler on the sideline in Baltimore when he wasn’t happy with the number of passes being thrown his way.
Smith-Schuster, who had just one reception and four targets in the game, was playing air guitar in the huddle during a TV timeout in the fourth quarter when the Steelers were trying to hold off a furious Chargers comeback. If he’s unhappy with his usage, he’s doing a pretty good job of hiding it.
Brown’s and Smith-Schuster’s reactions in the face of slumps could not be more different.
“I talked to the group [on Tuesday],” Fichtner said. “I’m proud of the group for the unselfishness, for the giving of others, for putting everyone’s hand in the pile to win the game. JuJu was one of the guys who in-game said, ‘Coach, we’re running it. Keep running. Let’s go.’
“You hear that from a receiver, and that excites you as a coach. I couldn’t have been more proud.”
How often has Fichtner heard that from a receiver?
“Not that often, and to be honest, I understand it,” he said. “Having coached the position a long time, they want to be involved and have an impact on the game. There are other ways to have impacts on the game — leadership, effort. We had some longer runs. That’s usually credited to the group, not just up front. It would be your receivers as well as the offensive line.”
Still, Steelers coaches know any real hopes of getting back into the thick of the AFC North race hinges on the offense becoming better. Mike Tomlin was blunt in his assessment of the state of his offense when he answered questions from reporters Wednesday morning. When asked how much room for growth there is for the offense, he replied: “Substantial.”
Dude just wants the team to win. That's a teammate you want.