At one point during a postgame video conference call with media Sunday, Chase Claypool was asked about two of his touchdowns.
He couldn’t remember one until after several moments of contemplation.
It was that kind of day for the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver. When you score four times, it’s not easy keeping track of them all.
“Something like this, you can never predict,” Claypool said after a breakout game for the ages in his fourth NFL contest, a 38-29 win against the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field. “But you always go into the game thinking that you’re going to have a really big day, and you kind of have to keep that mindset throughout the season. But I would have never predicted this outcome.”
Who could have?
The 11th wide receiver taken in the April draft, Claypool did not have the benefit of a typical rookie summer of organized team activities, minicamps or preseason games. He averaged fewer than 22 snaps played during his first two NFL games last month, and he had only six catches in his first three games heading into Sunday.
But against the Eagles, Claypool had seven receptions for 110 yards and three touchdowns plus a 2-yard run.
“He was just going to be the guy today,” coach Mike Tomlin said afterward, referring to the gameplan. “He had a good matchup, and he made some plays and they found that rhythm.
“I don’t want to make it out to be something more than it is. It was his turn today based on a lot of things, and he was able to deliver.”
Tomlin might be unwilling to make a big deal about Claypool’s performance, but history shows how rare it was. Claypool joined Jerry Butler (1979) and Harlon Hill (1954) as the only rookie wide receivers with a four-touchdown game in NFL history.
Only three previous rookies since 1970 even had as many as two receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Claypool matched that by the time 2 minutes had been played in the third quarter.
CHASE CLAYPOOL NOW HAS 4 TDS ?
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 11, 2020
10 touches
116 total yards
(via @steelers)pic.twitter.com/z5GF7xd3Fo
“He’s talented. He has got some God-given abilities that not many people in this world have,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said of the 6-foot-4, 238-pound Claypool. “He’s big, fast, and strong, and he’s very, very smart. So we’re able to do those things like move him around and do some things with him.
“It’s awesome. I’m just really proud of the way that he’s playing right now.”
Taken with the 49th pick of the draft, Claypool initially was lauded by Steelers brass for his special-teams prowess. It showed during a Week 2 win against Denver when he had three tackles.
But by the end of Sunday’s game, Claypool wasn’t even on the punt coverage unit. He had become that valuable to the offense. During one second-half snap, the Steelers deployed just one wide receiver, and it wasn’t veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster or James Washington. It was Claypool, who a month ago was buried deep as the WR4.
“He showed a lot of great things in camp coming in as young guy,” Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson said. “It looks like he picked up on playbook real fast, and he’s making plays early, so he’s definitely a young man who has a bright future.”
Chase Claypool played 61 of the #Steelers’ 80 offensive snaps during a 26-21 victory against the Houston Texans. https://t.co/uRI8bDcvTV
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 6, 2020
Claypool’s day could have been even bigger: he had a 33-yard reception along the sidelines reversed by an Eagles challenge that video review showed Claypool did not get a second foot down inbounds despite an acrobatic effort.
Claypool also had what initially was ruled a 42-yard touchdown nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty that video replays showed was a poor call. (Such infractions are not eligible for a coach’s challenge).
Another nitpick in Claypool’s self-assessment? “My celebration game today was weak.”
Then again, there hasn’t been a rookie wide receiver in 41 years who had to prepare to celebrate four touchdowns.
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
