Steelers WR Chase Claypool On Critical 3rd Down Conversion: "I Wanna Be The Guy That Can Be Trusted In Those Situations"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten themselves back on the right side of things after securing a 20-18 victory this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what could be considered one of the most shocking victories of the Week 5 NFL schedule.  The Steelers were without three of their four starters in their defensive secondary, which usually doesn't bode well for any team when future Half-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady comes into town.

Pittsburgh Steelers DL Cam Hayward puts pressure on Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady / Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers

Luckily for all of SteelerNation that was not the case, as the Steelers' defense stepped up, not allowing the Buccaneers' offensive playmakers to get into a rhythm the whole game.

Although only scored 20 points, our fans were encouraged by our play on the offensive side of the ball as well. Steelers rookie first-round selection quarterback Kenny Pickett was only named the starter just two weeks ago, it seems like this offense has looked a bit better each week that he's had the “keys” handed to him. One thing is for sure, the rookie sure has built a strong rapport with his receiving core. Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and fellow rookie George Pickens have all seemed to produce more when Pickett is the one throwing them the football.

Steelers Quarterback

That was especially the case with Claypool this Sunday, as he hauled in what was the first touchdown scored by a Steelers wide receiver so far in this young season against the Buccaneers. Although Pickett did exit the game in the second half with a head injury, Claypool did catch all seven pass attempts that he was targeted for 96 yards, including a critical clutch third-down conversion catch along the sideline to help seal the victory with the 2-minute warning approaching.

“We couldn't play it safe. We had to go try and score, that was the mentality. We couldn’t try and run the clock out. They had too many timeouts," Claypool said.

The third-year receiver has a lot to prove after coming off of a disappointing sophomore season that included issues on and off the field. After a rookie campaign in which Claypool saw the end zone 11 times, his production decreased dramatically, only finding the end zone a total of two times in 2021. A change at quarterback was inevitable for the new year, and Claypool has been vocal about wanting to be a focal point of this offense, even with the plethora of receivers and playmakers that this offense possesses.

“I wanna be the guy that can be trusted in those situations. Anytime I get an opportunity to do that, it's an honor to make those plays," Claypool said.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Chase Claypool (11) catches a pass in Week 5 victory vs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com/

There has been a good amount of hype surrounding the Steelers' wide receiver room. Pickens has been getting a lot of media attention due to his obvious playmaking ability, and Johnson did just sign a multi-year extension with the organization this off-season. Claypool is in a perfect situation to be the breakout star that this team is in desperate need of at the moment. No matter who is throwing him the football, there is no excuse why Claypool can’t put up these types of performances on a weekly basis.

Consistency in this position is key, and Sunday night's game against the Miami Dolphins will be the next test to see if Claypool can have a repeat performance of what he did last week. This receiving core that the Steelers has is way too talented for the group not to benefit off of each other, and I expect more of the same to happen as the season progresses.

WATCH STEELERS CHASE CLAYPOOL HIGHLIGHTS BELOW

Do we think Claypool can continue to perform at a high-level consistency this season? Let us know in the comments below.

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