Without JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers receivers ready to step up

Diontae Johnson, James Washington and Deon Cain have been drafted since JuJu Smith-Schuster joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. That Smith-Schuster still remains the wide receivers corps’ youngest member doesn’t mean he’s not the most accomplished or experienced.

“He’s always in our ear giving us advice for running certain route,” Washington said of Smith-Schuster. “Things he’s played and positions. It’s all good. It helps us.”

Unfortunately, that’s the only help Smith-Schuster will provide the Steelers’ offense Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. For fourth consecutive game since he suffered a knee injury Nov. 14, Smith-Schuster will not play. After leaving practice early Thursday and missing it altogether Friday, the player who is supposed to be the centerpiece of the Steelers’ skill-position group was ruled out when the injury report was released later that day.

“We gonna take it day by day and try to get healthy,” Smith-Schuster said.

“It wasn’t a setback. It was moreso like I pushed myself too hard. I’ve got to settle myself down. I am so competitive, just to get out there and be great, and I’ve got to take it slow.”

The Steelers are hoping the same won’t be said for their offense without Smith-Schuster, even if they won all the three games without him and are 5-0 when Smith-Schuster does not play since he was taken with a second-round pick in 2017.

“It doesn’t really affect things for me,” Washington said of playing with or without Smith-Schuster.

“We’ve got Diontae, Deon, all these guys that can go out for the moment.”

Picked up on waivers from the Indianapolis Colts two days after Smith-Schuster was injured during a loss to the Cleveland Browns, Cain has a catch in each of the games he’s played, averaging more than 20 yards per target in that time. All three have been for first downs. Two were good for third-down conversions, and another went for 35 yards on a second-and-21.

Washington has 11 catches and two long touchdowns over the three games without Smith-Schuster. Johnson had both of the Steelers’ touchdowns (one on a punt return) during last week’s win at the Arizona Cardinals.

“I have more confidence going into this week,” said Johnson, who hadn’t scored since Oct. 28 and had just 11 catches for 107 yards in the intervening five games. “I had a good game (in Arizona), and making plays like that made me feel like myself again, like I was in college.”

Johnson had 23 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Toledo.

Washington likewise has reemerged after a midseason slump. He has 20 catches for 381 yards (18.8 average) and three touchdowns over his past five games. In eight of 12 games this season, Washington has a catch of at least 20 yards.

“The more plays that get made, and the more consistent we are as a group, then it lessens that load and allows everyone to be a little bit more involved, per se,” offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said. “You know, we go in every week trying to keep everyone involved, but defenses dictate decisions, dictate protections, dictate those kind of things.”

The Bills’ defense, No. 3 overall and No. 3 against the pass, won’t have to concern itself with defending Smith-Schuster, who last season was fifth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,426) and tied for sixth in catches (111).

But even while also being without No. 1 tight end Vance McDonald and perhaps No. 1 running back James Conner (questionable because of a shoulder injury), the Steelers insist their passing game can be good enough to win Sunday.

“(The Steelers wide receivers) have been snapping out there this whole past week and just doing their job,” Smith-Schuster said. “It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come with the guys out there on the field.”

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