How will the Pittsburgh Steelers cope without Antonio Brown? We dig into that and more:
• Playmakers, post-AB: Antonio Brown may be getting ready for his close-up on Hard Knocks with the Raiders, but the Steelers aren't completely bereft of big-time playmakers. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Pittsburgh has a few of the best receivers when it comes to turning modest gains into splash plays. Next Gen Stats tracks a metric called expected yards after the catch (expected YAC), which gauges how many extra yards that a receiver should gain on a pass based on factors such as the receiver's speed, his separation from defenders, and the pass location. Tight end Vance McDonald gained +2.1 more yards after the catch than expected on his receptions in 2018, which ranked behind only George Kittle (+3.2), D.J. Moore (+3), Josh Gordon (+3) and Evan Engram (+2.9) among all players. Free agent signee Donte Moncrief wasn't far behind, ranking ninth in the NFL in expected YAC (+1.3). JuJu Smith-Schuster (+0.3) had a modest mark overall, but he also turned a Week 1 reception against the Browns that had an expected YAC of 16 yards into a 67-yard touchdown. No one's replacing arguably the most productive receiver of all time over a six-year period, but the Steelers still have some after-the-catch weapons.
• Fading in the fourth: The Steelers missed the playoffs in 2018 in part because they squandered late leads and allowed teams to drive down the field when time was running short. How much worse was the '18 Steelers defense late in games? In 2017, when the team went 13-3, Pittsburgh allowed an average of 4.6 points per game in the fourth quarter (tied for fourth-best among NFL teams). Last year, when the Steelers limped to a 9-6-1 record and missed the playoffs, they allowed 7.7 points per game in the fourth quarter (24th among all teams). The big difference was pass coverage. In 2017, the Steelers allowed a 54.9 completion percentage and a 57.8 quarterback rating in the fourth quarter. Last year, they surrendered a 65 percent completion rate and a 91.5 quarterback rating.
• Nose for the ball: The Steelers defense produced just 15 turnovers last season (tied for 29th in the NFL), but T.J. Watt certainly did his part. Watt forced six fumbles in 2018, which tied Khalil Mack for third among all defenders. Only Dee Ford and T.J.'s brother, J.J. Watt, caused opponents to cough it up more often (seven forced fumbles apiece). Watt's six forced fumbles are the second-most in a season for a Steelers player since Football Reference began tracking that stat back in 1993. Greg Lloyd (1991 and 1995) and James Harrison (2010) also had seasons with six forced fumbles. Harrison holds the single-season record, with seven in both 2007 and 2008.