Steelers-Bengals features preeminent slot WRs in Tyler Boyd, JuJu Smith-Schuster

One plays for Pittsburgh’s team, and the other is from the area.

Together, they’re the NFL’s most-used slot receivers.

Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals features the wide receivers who rank first and second in the league in snaps run out of the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Clairton native Tyler Boyd has lined up in the slot for 276 snaps over the Bengals’ eight games this season. The Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster has run out of the slot 239 times.

Boyd leads the NFL in receptions from the slot (46); Smith-Schuster is fourth in catches (36) and tied for second in touchdowns (four). The duo has combined for one drop (by Boyd).

A common thread? These two aren’t the prototypical small, quick and shifty slot receivers. Boyd stands 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, and Smith-Schuster is 6-1, 215.

“Both of these teams happen to have bigger guys (in the slot),” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said during a conference call with media Thursday. “Sometimes it’s the style of offense that you play with. Sometimes it’s the quarterback preference. … Some guys like a bigger slot, and some guys like those speed guys who separate underneath and get way up the field.

“But I know we are really happy with Tyler.”

At the midpoint of the season, Boyd is on pace for 108 catches, 1,168 yards and six touchdowns. All but the TDs would be career highs for the five-year pro whom the Bengals took in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Pitt.

Over his past two games, Boyd has 17 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed a pass and has four rushes for 38 yards this season.

“Tyler is a formidable opponent,” Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “He’s a big playmaker for them. We have to make sure when they are in passing situations that we try to limit him as much as we can. He is a part of their big-play program, you might say. He has been a part of most of their big plays over there.”

In the boys finals of @TribLiveHSSN's Best of the Century tournament, Franklin Regional's Spencer Lee defeated Clairton's Tyler Boyd. https://t.co/MOtMVq33dE

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 23, 2020

In the first season of a four-year, $43 million contract extension, Boyd is ninth in the NFL in receptions with 54. He is tied for third among wide receivers in catches that result in a first down with 36.

“We are really happy with Tyler,” Taylor said. “He plays a tremendous role for us. He’s a leader on this team. He’s had a ton of production, and the quarterback has got a lot of trust in him.”

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