JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
Wide Receiver
DETROIT – It turned out to be quite the week for JuJu Smith-Schuster. First, he had his stolen bicycle returned to him, and then he was the star in the Steelers' 20-15 victory over the Lions inside Ford Field.
Smith-Schuster finished with seven catches for 193 yards (27.6 average) and a touchdown, but when those numbers were broken down further his contribution to the victory took on a greater significance. Chief among the big plays he turned in was a 97-yard touchdown on a catch-and-run that came on a third-and-9 from the Steelers 3-yard line late in the third quarter. He also had a 41-yard catch-and-run on the Steelers first offensive snap, and then he caught a 4-yard shovel pass to convert a third-and-1 with 1:29 remaining to send the Steelers into victory formation.
His 193 receiving yards was the second-most in a single game for a rookie in franchise history. Jimmy Orr had 205 against the Chicago Cardinals on Dec. 13, 1958. Smith-Schuster is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.
Also considered were Antonio Brown, who caught five passes for 70 yards; Tyson Alualu, who had three tackles and a sack that came on fourth down during one of the Steelers' goal-line stands; Sean Davis, who had six tackles, including one for loss; Artie Burns, who had nine tackles, a pass defensed, and a fumble recovery; Jordan Berry, who averaged 47.0 yards on his four punts, with a 41.8 net and two punts inside the 20-yard line; and Chris Boswell, who was 2-for-2 in field goal attempts against the Lions to improve to 18-for-20 (90 percent) through the first half of the 2017 season.
