Film Room: JuJu Smith-Schuster’s KR Touchdown Breaks A Massive Drought

[polamalubeast]

It took more than seven years, 87 months, 380 weeks. But the Pittsburgh Steelers’ streak is finally broken. JuJu Smith-Schuster’s 96 yard kickoff return touchdown was the first such play since Antonio Brown’s inaugural game all the way back in 2010, taking a reverse from Mewelde Moore and racing to the house.

Yesterday, the Steelers needed no such trickery. Just good blocking and execution. Let’s take a look.

Following the game, Smith-Schuster was asked to break the play down. He said it was a return to the right, that much is obvious. What isn’t obvious is that Fitzgerald Toussaint, the other return man, told Smith-Schuster he needed to return the kick no matter what. And so he did.

From there, it’s mostly about great blocking. It’s a terrific job all around, for plays like these, it almost always is, but let’s focus in on three guys. Roosevelt Nix, Robert Golden, and Toussaint.

Nix. What a fun guy to watch on special teams. He throws the most physical block, peeling off on the man L.J. Fort – who did a really good job – sealed to the inside to allow JuJu to come off his outside hip. The defender goes sprawling to the ground. You’ll see it well in the GIF before.


read more

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2018/01/film-room-juju-smith-schusters-kr-touchdown-breaks-massive-drought/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZIcx87UeKE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4lsNNEFqVM

[SteelerFanInStl]

Loved the stiff arm on 39 to finish it out.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

A KR for a TD and a blocked punt in the same game?? FIRE DANNY SMITH!

[polamalubeast]

A KR for a TD and a blocked punt in the same game?? FIRE DANNY SMITH!

I never understood why Danny Smith has a bad reputation in this forum

I know that in general we have never been good in return (KR and PR) but our coverage has never been a problem under him.

Do you remember the 2009 season?!

[GoSlash27]

Kick returns for a TD are an extremely rare occurrence; about one in 300 kickoffs. I'd expect one every 5 years or so on average, so 7 years isn't exactly a "drought" IMO. Still, I did love this KR. Especially the stiff- arm :D

[polamalubeast]

Kick returns for a TD are an extremely rare occurrence; about one in 300 kickoffs. I'd expect one every 5 years or so on average, so 7 years isn't exactly a "drought" IMO. Still, I did love this KR. Especially the stiff- arm :D

But the last two players who returned a KR for a TD for the steelers are or will become a superstars for the steelers!

[GoSlash27]

polamalubeast,
Yeah, and I'm thrilled for lil' JuJu aka "mama dey go dat boi". I'm glad he's on our side, and I'm just plain happy for him because he's such a great kid.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I never understood why Danny Smith has a bad reputation in this forum

I know that in general we have never been good in return (KR and PR) but our coverage has never been a problem under him.

Do you remember the 2009 season?!

I bet we could trace it back to one game that special teams was terrible and a blogger on one of the popular Pittsburgh fan sites wrote about it and then a lot of fans here just jump on the hatewagon. Its kind of like Willie Colon syndrome. That guy was hated on forums by fans that didn't understand O line play, but he started 100 NFL games over his 9 year career.

[st33lersguy]

He's really impressive. 918 yards and 7 TDs for a rookie who started as a no. 3 receiver and wasn't legally allowed to drink halfway through the season as well.

[polamalubeast]

I bet we could trace it back to one game that special teams was terrible and a blogger on one of the popular Pittsburgh fan sites wrote about it and then a lot of fans here just jump on the hatewagon. Its kind of like Willie Colon syndrome. That guy was hated on forums by fans that didn't understand O line play, but he started 100 NFL games over his 9 year career.

I hated Willie Colon because of his false start!

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I hated Willie Colon because of his false start!

How many false starts did he have per season that you can recall? Were they when he was playing RT?

[polamalubeast]

How many false starts did he have per season that you can recall? Were they when he was playing RT?

I do not know how many times, but yes, it was when Colon was a RT.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

He's really impressive. 918 yards and 7 TDs for a rookie who started as a no. 3 receiver and wasn't legally allowed to drink halfway through the season as well.

Just think if Josh Gordon wasn't allowed to drink through the season. He would be making more than $1.06 million this year. Lets hope JuJu doesn't hang with him or Martavis in the offseason.

[tube517]

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ColoWi20/penalties

I liked Willie Colon. Especially when he pancaked/humped Burfict into the ground.

Was glad he got moved to guard later in his Steelers career.

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Just think if Josh Gordon wasn't allowed to drink through the season. He would be making more than $1.06 million this year. Lets hope JuJu doesn't hang with him or Martavis in the offseason.

I heard Tay tay and Josh want to play w/the Broncos or Seachickens. :smokin:

[Born2Steel]

This should be posted in the "Special Teams will cost us a game" thread.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I do not know how many times, but yes, it was when Colon was a RT.

Willie Colon had 13 total penalties in 2008, that was the most ever by a Steeler O lineman until DeCastro put up 14 penalties last season. I once looked it up and I think the false starts accounted for 5 that year. Like I eluded to earlier, if it was indeed 5, then he false started roughly once every 3 games and fans vilified him for it.

Colon was a guard they played at RT for too long. His arms were too short, his legs too short in order to deal with speed rushers on the outside and that is why he leaned often and would false start at that rate. Again, my point was that mistakes by Willie Colon were wrongly magnified, just as they are with Special Teams where Danny Smith gets tons of hate, but no credit when his group puts up a return TD and punt block in the same game.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Thanks Tube517....it was 5 false starts in 2007 and 8 in 2008. :salute: Gordon should goto wine country in Wash St, while MB would love blunt country in Co.

As stated, this should be posted in the "Special Teams will cost us" thread, as I think the 7 points from the KR TD might have actually helped with the victory huh? Doubtful anybody blogs about that though.

[salamander]

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ColoWi20/penalties

I liked Willie Colon. Especially when he pancaked/humped Burfict into the ground.

Was glad he got moved to guard later in his Steelers career.

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I heard Tay tay and Josh want to play w/the Broncos or Seachickens. :smokin:

You can add the California teams to that list as well now. :chuckle:

[Fire Goodell]

I never understood why Danny Smith has a bad reputation in this forum

I know that in general we have never been good in return (KR and PR) but our coverage has never been a problem under him.

Do you remember the 2009 season?!

Oh man, Bob Ligashitthebedsky? I used to have nightmares about that guy

[Steelermania]

If you want to talk about bad special teams, go back to the early 2000s. As much as we rip the Pats cheating, and Kordell's shaky play, special teams is what cost us a trip to the SB after the 2001 season.

[EzraTank]

Juju and Brown remind me of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. Brown the older vet playing the role of Harrison and Juju the younger upcoming stud being Wayne.

[Psycho Ward 86]

I hated Willie Colon because of his false start!

Thats pretty miniscule in the bigger picture. Colon was lowkey a pretty good LG, and a really nasty puller. He was serviceable at worst at RT and our best OL during that horrid 2007-2013 period where our OL sucked.

Fun nugget: Shaun Phillips used to talk about how Colon was the lineman he found the hardest to play against. Thats a pro bowl LB talking

[polamalubeast]

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