Steelers' Mike Tomlin to Talk to JuJu Smith-Schuster About Dancing on Team Logos
Dec 22, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers' JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) runs during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Speaking to reporters about the incident Tuesday, Tomlin said he will address the situation with his wide receiver.
"It's about respect," Tomlin added.
Fellow Steelers wideout Chase Claypool recorded the footage of Smith-Schuster dancing on the Bengals logo during pregame warm-ups, which the latter posted on Instagram.
Smith-Schuster has made dancing on the logo of opposing teams a pregame ritual. Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Pryortold reportersit gave his team "a little second itch to come out and play with some extra fire" when they saw the 24-year-old showing off his moves prior to a game at Bills Stadium on Dec. 13.
Bengals safety Vonn Bellsaidin the week leading up to Monday's game he thought Smith-Schuster's logo dancing was "disrespectful." He wound up making sure the Steelers receiver felt his presence by delivering a huge hit that forced a fumble late in the first quarter.
Smith-Schuster's antics would seem to be the least of Pittsburgh's concerns. The offense has been held under 20 points in four straight games. Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 357 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in the past two contests combined.
The Steelers lost to both the Bills and Bengals amid their three-game losing streak that started with a 23-17 defeat at the hands of the Washington Football Team on Dec. 7.
Fantasy Football Manager Loses by .04 Points After Leading by 0.46 Before MNF
Dec 22, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) plays in an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
When it comes to fantasy football, never take a win for granted.
ESPN's Field Yates highlighted one brutal loss during the Week 15 fantasy semifinals, where a lead of .46 points turned into a .04 loss after duds from Pittsburgh Steelers pass-catchers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Eric Ebron:
Maybe the worst fantasy beat I’ve ever seen: a guy was up .46 last night with JuJu and Ebron left. His opponent was already done.
Ebron gets hurt early and leaves without a catch, JuJu scores -.5.
Ebron left early with an injury, while Smith-Schuster managed just 15 receiving yards to go with a lost fumble, leading to negative points between the two.
It's a perfect example of one of the more heavily discussed topics of fantasy football etiquette: Do you bench your players after a win is secured or is it fair play to keep the lineup intact?
The truth is, in fantasy you play to win the game, which means adjusting your team however necessary to advance to the next round. This usually means avoiding any risk of negatives from the late games if you have a lead (especially if the final spot is a defense).
The narrow margin in this example left the chance of losing due to a late stat adjustment, but most times you have to take the win when you can get it.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals . Yes, that was the actual result on Monday night. Pittsburgh fell flat and was dragged back into a fight for the AFC North title because of it...
Joe Mixon Appears to Troll JuJu Smith-Schuster After Bengals Upset Steelers
Dec 22, 2020
Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) watches from the sidelines during an NFL football game between the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)
Smith-Schuster is clearly savvy with social media and has built himself a large following. His pregame ritual might be doing more harm than good at this stage, though.
Jordan Poyer and Levi Wallace said they took some motivation from it prior to the Buffalo Bills' 26-15 win over Pittsburgh in Week 14:
Pittsburgh's lead on the Cleveland Browns in the AFC North is now only one game. This might be the first division race in NFL history that was swung in some small part because of a dance challenge on TikTok.
Ben Roethlisberger Struggles as Steelers Upset by Bengals for 3rd Straight Loss
Dec 21, 2020
Cincinnati Bengals' Giovani Bernard (25) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers' Cameron Heyward (97) for a touchdown reception during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait for their first AFC North crown since 2017.
Pittsburgh fell in stunning fashion 27-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday at Paul Brown Stadium and has now lost three games in a row. It is still in solid position at 11-3, but it is just one game ahead of the Cleveland Browns following yet another defeat.
While Cincinnati is largely playing out the string without franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, it snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 3-10-1 on the campaign thanks to a strong performance from the defense and Giovani Bernard.
It's not often teams come into play with an 11-2 record and a deserved sense of urgency or even panic.
That was the case for the Steelers following losses to the Washington Football Team and Buffalo Bills amid three straight showings with fewer than 20 points. They didn't do anything to answer those offensive questions in the early going, either, as Ben Roethlisberger threw for minus-five yards in a scoreless first quarter that saw his team lose two fumbles.
One of them came when Vonn Bell jarred the ball loose from JuJu Smith-Schuster on a hard hit near midfield, while the other came when Roethlisberger couldn't handle a snap.
"You've got to go out there between the lines, go out there and hit him." - Vonn Bell when asked earlier about JuJu dancing on the logo
Things didn't get much better following the first quarter, as Big Ben threw an ugly interception into the waiting arms of Mackensie Alexander. While the offensive line, receivers and rushing attack that was missing James Conner didn't do him any favors, the 38-year-old looked like a shell of himself and nothing like a Super Bowl contender under center.
It flipped some in the second half when Roethlisberger threw a strike to Diontae Johnson for a touchdown and Benny Snell Jr. started to get rolling in the rushing attack.
Snell's touchdown helped make it a seven-point game in the fourth quarter on a drive that saw William Jackson III drop a pick and commit a pass interference on a fourth down, either of which could have all but iced it.
Still, it was too little and too late for the visitors, who watched Roethlisberger throw four straight incompletions in the final minutes with a chance to tie it and perhaps force overtime.
Cincinnati's Offense Does Just Enough in Win
Nobody is going to mistake Cincinnati's offense for that of the Kansas City Chiefs with no Joe Mixon at running back and Ryan Finley lined up at quarterback.
Still, all the Bengals really had to do out of the gates was avoid turnovers and massive mistakes given Steelers' play on the other end, and they did a solid job of taking advantage of the golden opportunities their defense created.
Cincinnati scored 17 points in the first half with all of them, including Bernard's two touchdowns, coming on short fields following Pittsburgh's three turnovers.
That was enough to provide a cushion into the fourth quarter even though the home team started the second half with three consecutive three-and-outs with Finley underthrowing multiple third-down passes and the offensive line struggling to create running lanes.
That's when the Bengals switched things up.
They called a Finley pass just once during a nine-play, 80-yard drive and instead relied on read-options and Bernard between the tackles. Pittsburgh had no reason to expect Finley keeping the ball as a runner, but he did so to perfection on a key third-down conversion and again for a 23-yard touchdown run that put the Bengals ahead by two scores in the fourth quarter.
That was all the victors needed with the stagnant Steelers offense scuffling throughout, as Cincinnati at least played spoiler to its rival in an otherwise lost season.
What's Next?
Both teams face AFC South foes in Week 16 when the Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts and the Bengals are at the Houston Texans.
Steelers' WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: 'I Plan to Keep' Dancing on Opposition Logos
Dec 16, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington (13) celebrates with JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) after scoring on a 19-yard pass play with Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace (39) defending during the first half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said Wednesday he'll continue to dance on opponents' midfield logos before road games even though the act appeared to provide motivation to the Buffalo Bills ahead of the teams' Week 14 matchup.
"I'm not going to stop being myself," Smith-Schuster told reporters. "I'm going to keep being the [best] JuJu I can be. This is something I've been doing. I plan to keep doing it."
Bills quarterback Josh Allen made reference to the wideout's actions during a pregame conversation with his offense, saying "Let them do all the talking, all the f--cking dancing, we do the f--king work."
Steelers head coach Mike TomlinsaidTuesday he wasn't aware of Smith-Schuster's pregame ritual and downplayed the notion it gave the Bills an added boost before theSunday Night Footballclash:
"I don't know what you're talking about. That's the first I heard of that. You know, these are professional players. These guys are motivated each and every week. Sometimes they say things in an effort to provide, you know, a vision of motivation and things of that nature, but I doubt, knowing the group that coaches that team, Sean McDermott, I'm sure that they were motivated in all the proper ways and that had very little relevance in terms of how the game was played."
Buffalo safety Jordan Poyer made comments that contrasted Tomlin's take that it was meaningless.
"I ain't going to lie. Seeing them dancing on our logo pregame and seeing all that, that turns you up a little bit," Poyertold reportersafter the Bills' 26-15 win. "It kind of gives you a little second itch to come out and play with some extra fire.”
It was an important result in the battle for seeding atop the AFC standings.
The Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) moved into the No. 1 spot, the only placement that'll earn a bye this season with seven playoff teams from each conference, because of the Steelers' (11-2) loss and Buffalo (10-3) moved within one win of Pittsburgh for the second seed.
If the current seedings hold for the final three weeks, the Steelers and Bills would be on a collision course in the second round of the playoffs if they both open the postseason with wins. If Allen and Co. outplay Smith-Schuster and Co. by one game down the stretch, they'd host that clash.
Should that hypothetical scenario play out with the rematch taking place in Buffalo, it would be intriguing to see whether Smith-Schuster makes another trip to the Bills' midfield logo for a pregame dance party.
Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs Lead Bills Past Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers on SNF
Dec 13, 2020
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) gets off a pass under pressure by Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the first half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes )
The Buffalo Bills moved one step closer to their first AFC East crown since the 1995 season.
Buffalo defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-15 in Sunday's potential playoff preview at Bills Stadium and improved to 10-3 on the year. Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and the defense led the way for the victors, who have won three in a row and are two games ahead of the 8-5 Miami Dolphins in the division.
Pittsburgh has now lost two in a row after winning its opening 11 games of the season. It is still ahead of the 9-3 Cleveland Browns in the AFC North, but the division race is much closer down the stretch than it appeared it would be just weeks ago.
Notable Player Stats
Josh Allen, QB, BUF: 24-of-43 for 238 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 6 carries for 27 yards
StefonDiggs, WR, BUF: 10 catches for 130 yards, 1 TD
Pittsburgh's offense was firmly under the microscope in this matchup.
After all, it scored less than 20 points in each of its last two games against the Baltimore Ravens and Washington. Ben Roethlisberger also entered play with a three-game interception streak and appeared to force the issue a bit more with running back James Conner sidelined with an injury.
Even though Conner was back, it was more of the same Sunday.
Pittsburgh punted on its first five possessions and only scored when it took advantage of a short field following a turnover with a touchdown strike from Big Ben to James Washington. Roethlisberger also threw a touchdown to the wrong team in the final minute of the first half when Taron Johnson's pick-six put the Bills ahead for the first time.
Things didn't get much better out of the locker room, as the running game was nonexistent and Roethlisberger faced pressure even though he avoided a number of sacks with his ability to escape.
Offensive linemen Matt Feiler and Kevin Dotson wereruled outwith shoulder injuries, making things even more difficult, and the lack of a running game meant Buffalo's defensive line could home in on the quarterback without much hesitation.
Even with all that, a touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster and the ensuing two-point conversion cut the deficit to eight in the fourth quarter, but Roethlisberger's second interception—this time to Levi Wallace—all but ended any realistic comeback hopes.
Bills Offense Comes Alive in Second Half
If there was ever a time for Allen to continue his individual momentum and carve up a Steelers defense, it was Sunday.
Devin Bush, Bud Dupree, Robert Spillane, Vince Williams and Joe Haden were among the Pittsburgh defenders who weresidelinedwith injuries, making the unit far less formidable. That figured to clear the way for Allen, who threw for 375 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions his last time out against the San Francisco 49ers.
Allen also averaged 307.75 passing yards per game in his previous four outings and tallied 12 combined touchdowns to three interceptions in that span.
So much for things sticking to the script in the early going, as Allen threw an interception to Mike Hilton and Dawson Knox lost a fumble in a first half that saw Buffalo manage just three offensive points.
After consistently stalling throughout the opening two quarters, Buffalo finally showed some life after its side took the lead with the Johnson pick-six. Allen locked in on Diggs and found him four times on the opening possession of the second half, the last of which put the Bills offense in the end zone for the first time all night.
Stefon Diggs has taken over multiple games the last two weeks with his route running.
The explosive playmaker carved up Pittsburgh's secondary with his crisp route running and ability to evade tacklers in the open field. He helped Allen settle in after a slow start, and the quarterback found Gabriel Davis for a touchdown, connected with Knox for a key third-down conversion while working the clock and further cemented his team's status as a legitimate AFC contender.
What's Next?
Both teams are on the road in Week 15 when the Steelers face the Cincinnati Bengals and the Bills play the Denver Broncos.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers Clinch 2020 Playoff Berth as Chiefs Beat Dolphins
Dec 13, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) plays in an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
A year after having season-ending surgery on his elbow and leaving the Steelers to go 8-8 under Mason Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger has returned to lead the Steelers to an 11-1 record, with 3,105 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes on 66.9 percent passing through Sunday.
James Conner led the running game, posting 645 yards on 145 carries with five touchdowns, while Pittsburgh relied on a trio of wide receivers throughout the season so far. Rookie wideout Chase Claypool, who was selected in the second round out of Notre Dame, has totaled 649yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions, while Diontae Johnson has posted a team-leading 654 yards and five scores. Juju Smith-Schuster has collected 600yards on 73 receptions for six touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers defense has limited opponents to 17.6 points per game, a league-low, allowing 300.5 yards per game. They lead the league with 44 sacks and 16 interceptions.
This season's Pittsburgh crew became the first in franchise history to start the season with 10 victories and is the only team league-wide to go 10-0 in the past five seasons. In doing so, it was in good company; 18 teams have gone 10-0 since the introduction of the Super Bowl, according to NFL.com'sKevin Patra. Of those teams, 10 have made it to the championship, and six have won.
Pittsburgh currently holds a two-game lead over the AFC North over the 9-3 Cleveland Browns, while also currently holding the tiebreaker, thanks to a 38-7 win in Week 6. Meanwhile, the Steelers are also battling with the Chiefs (12-1) for the top seed in the AFC.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers Upset by Alex Smith, WFT for 1st Loss of Season
Dec 7, 2020
Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith (11) gets off a pass under pressure from Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) during the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Alex Smith's storybook 2020 NFL season continued as the Washington Football Team handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their first loss.
Washington came away a 23-17 victor Monday night at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The result moves Washington into a tie with the New York Giants for the best record (5-7) in the NFC East. The Giants own the tiebreaker, though, thanks to their two head-to-head wins.
A 50-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to James Washington helped give Pittsburgh a 14-0 lead with 3:54 left in the second quarter.
Washington slowly chipped away at the advantage until Alex Smith hit Logan Thomas on a 15-yard throw at the 9:09 mark of the fourth quarter to tie things up at 17.
Alex Smith to Logan Thomas! #WashingtonFootball has tied the game with 9:09 remaining.
Dustin Hopkins broke the deadlock with a 45-yard field goal with 2:07 remaining in the game. On the first play Pittsburgh's next drive, Montez Sweat batted a Roethlisberger pass at the line of scrimmage, and the ball fell into the arms of Jon Bostic.
Hopkins hit another field goal to make it a six-point game and leave 17 seconds on the clock for the Steelers. Eric Ebron hauled in a 22-yard pass as time expired to end the game.
Notable Performers
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers: 33-of-53, 305 yards, two touchdowns, one interception
Benny Snell, RB, Steelers: eight carries, five yards; two receptions, five yards
James Washington, WR, Steelers: two receptions, 80 yards, one touchdown
Alex Smith, QB, Washington: 31-of-46, 296 yards, one touchdown
Peyton Barber, RB, Washington: 14 carries, 23 yards, one touchdown
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington: nine receptions, 98 yards, one touchdown
Smith Perseveres to Lead Upset
His final numbers were very good, and he came out on the winning end. But Monday was not a fun night for Smith.
He lost his starting running back, Antonio Gibson, to atoe injuryin the first quarter. Later in the first half, Washington center Chase Roullier inadvertently backed into the left leg of Smith, opening up what looked like a nasty cut.
Alex Smith bleeding around his left ankle. He appeared to be "cleated" on previous drive. It is not his surgically repaired leg. pic.twitter.com/0nUNky71GZ
The Steelers also succeeded in nullifying Terry McLaurin completely. McLaurin's 14 receiving yards were a season low.
Terry McLaurin is on his way to being one of the top 5ish receivers in the NFL and Sutton and Haden have locked him up much of the day. He is dealing w/an injury, but still. Very quiet.
With McLaurin cut off from his quarterback, the opportunity arose for Thomas to enjoy a career night as he became one of Smith's preferred options. The 29-year-old has endured a long road in the NFL before becoming a consistent target in Washington's passing game.
By my count, Logan Thomas was cut or waived 14 times. Persistence pays off. He’s turned into a darn good player.
Logan Thomas, then a QB, was cut and re-signed from the Giants’ practice squad seven times between Week 1 and Week 12 of the 2016 season. Often times, he’d sign and get cut a day or two later. Quite a journey to solid NFL tight end.
If you knew before the game that Gibson would get hurt and McLaurin would be limited to two catches, you'd probably assume the Steelers would coast to a straightforward win. Instead, Washington hanged around in the first half and put on a dominant defensive display in the second half.
The NFC East has been the butt of a lot of jokes this season for obvious reasons. But Washington is now riding a three-game winning streak and looks like a team nobody will want to play in the Wild Card Round should it reach the postseason.
Sloppy Receiver Play Continues to Dog Steelers Offense
The mileage might be starting to add up for Pittsburgh. The Steelers' bye came all the way back in Week 4, and they were working on a short week—despite this game getting moved back by one day—thanks to the multiple postponements to their Week 12 encounter with the Baltimore Ravens.
Having said that, fatigue doesn't totally explain why Steelers receivers are having trouble with dropped passes.
Has anyone studied where drops occur on the field? Wouldn't be surprised if it was short over the middle, where linebackers are lurking, which might explain why the Steelers receivers are dropping so many passes this season.
The Steelers have dropped 5 passes in back-to-back games. They had dropped 5 passes twice in the last 15 seasons prior to this stretch, per @ESPNStatsInfo.
More concerning, the running game was almost nonexistent against Washington. Benny Snell Jr., Anthony McFarland Jr. and Jaylen Samuels combined to go for 21 yards on 13 carries.
In the second quarter, the Steelers had a 1st-and-goal from the Washington 1-yard line. Back-to-back runs by Snell went for zero yards, and Roethlisberger's pass to Jerald Hawkins fell incomplete. On fourth down, Snell went up the middle and was stopped at the goal line.
A great defense can take a team a long way in the playoffs, and Pittsburgh owns one of the NFL's best defenses. Thanks to an offense that's failing to make the most of the talent at its disposal, the team could nonetheless find itself in serious trouble come the playoffs.
What's Next?
Washington will hit the road to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Steelers will be back in prime time as they play the Buffalo Bills at 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday night.
Ravens' Willie Snead IV Calls JuJu Smith-Schuster 'Soft Az Hell' After IG Post
Dec 2, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) tries to fend off Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tramon Williams after making a catch during the second half of an NFL football game Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
Willie Snead IV is apparently no fan of fellow wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Following the Pittsburgh Steelers' 19-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Smith-Schuster posted a picture of his head-turning stiff arm of defensive back Tramon Williams with the caption "Imagine getting stiff arm'd 10 yards by a Tik Tok influencer."
While Snead and the Ravens may feel that way, Smith-Schuster got the last laugh on the field with eight catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. It was an ugly game, but Pittsburgh improved to 11-0 and seized further control of the AFC North.
Baltimore, which finished with the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season, is on the outside of the playoff picture at 6-5.
