By Jared Villani
SteelerNation.com
It's no secret Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has grown exponentially since joining the league just two seasons ago. While JuJu's targets will undoubtedly increase throughout the 2019-20 season with the absence of Antonio Brown, his responsibilities and attention from opposing defenders will as well.
Another one of the AFC's talented receivers, Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowl pass-catcher Keenan Allen, was asked about Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Fox Sports' Undisputed. This lead to the discussion of how JuJu would be affected now that Brown is playing with the Oakland Raiders.
“Life-changing, life-changing. It’s gonna be hard to sleep at night trying to find ways to get open. Different routes, different coverages you’ve got to look at. Double teams, double pressures, just everything, the whole game changes. But it’s going to get better for him because he’s just gonna learn and he’s just going to get more and more experience.” - Keenan Allen
Things will certainly be different for Pittsburgh's offense next season, but JuJu has shown no signs of not being able to step up and showcase his skill set. Last season, Big Ben connected with JuJu 111 times for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. While he may have a tougher time getting open this season due to stronger coverage, there's no reason to believe his production will falter in any way.
The video below consists of Allen's appearance on Undisputed and critiques of Big Ben aside, Allen has a point in the sense that this season will definitely be much different for JuJu:
.@ShannonSharpe: Big Ben, Derek Carr, you see any similarities? @Keenan13Allen: I do, but one is young, no Super Bowls, less ego. pic.twitter.com/ZYfXq8IkXB
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 18, 2019
