HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. -- If you watched Sunday’s game, you probably saw the CBS Sports graphic about the youth at the Steelers' skill positions. The club’s wide receivers and running backs combine to average 24 years, 37 days — the youngest in the NFL.
The Steelers have plenty of veteran talent throughout the lineup. (Hello, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Heyward and Joe Haden.) But in watching the 26-21 win over the Broncos, you can't help but feel good about some of the younger players on the squad. Today, I’m going to highlight such players, while also giving a nod to a few younger veterans.
The overall performance wasn’t the best, but every week it’s a pass/fail league, and the bottom line is the Steelers are 2-0. There are no bad teams in the NFL and the 0-2 Broncos are an example. They were without their Walking Gold Jacket, linebacker Von Miller, and lost their starting quarterback Drew Lock to injury early in the game. Still, they pushed the Steelers to the final minutes.
The good news is Pittsburgh has the look of a club showing signs of consistency again. And youth is a big part of that.
On the offensive line, we didn’t hear the name Kevin Dotson mentioned much Sunday and, when you play up front, there’s no bigger compliment. The Denver defense is experienced. Dotson, a rookie fourth-round pick, had to match up with five-time Pro Bowler Jurrell Casey and he more than held his own. Dotson, 24, is no David DeCastro, but he filled the role admirably. Meanwhile, Chukwuma Okorafor, 23, did a nice job in what could be the first of many starts at right tackle.
At the skill positions, the receiving duo of Diontae Johnson, 24, and Chase Claypool, 22, are going to cause fits for opposing secondaries. Each scored a touchdown and combined for 180 yards receiving against Denver. Johnson is making plays all over the formation and on special teams. As for Claypool, he made an electrifying grab for the second straight week. You saw the combination of speed, size and paws like a grizzly bear on display for that 84-yard touchdown.
Among Johnson’s best attributes is he plays with a chip on his shoulder. I knew that being his teammate last year. He is determined to show the world why he’s a high draft pick from a smaller school. The creativity he brings to the game is the butter to Ben’s bread. Johnson's ability to play what we call 'backyard football' is a perfect fit for a quarterback who loves to extend plays.
And don't forget JuJu Smith-Schuster in our discussion of young receivers. He's still only 23, and he made seven more catches Sunday. He looks like a receiver who’s regained his confidence after an up-and-down second season.
The run game is a work in progress. But through two weeks, the Steelers are averaging 125 yards on the ground, a season after averaging 90.4. While James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. lack the consistency of, say, the Browns' Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the team's weekly production is encouraging. Conner, 25, had the hot hand this week, while Snell, 23, was very good in the opener. Each has a 100-plus-yard game to his credit. From week to week, we don’t know who will be drinking wine and who will be squashing grapes, but neither does the defense. Snell needs to focus on ball protection — two fumbles in two games — yet he’s still finding his way in an unforgiving league.
Now, let’s switch sides of the ball.
Devin Bush, 22, is looking worthy of the price the Steelers paid to move up in last year’s draft to take him. I recall a Michigan fan telling me that Bush is a playmaker. That dude was right. His ability to slide and dodge offensive linemen trying to get their hands on him is something I’ve seen before in Ryan Shazier. Neither is your prototypical linebacker. Shazier is tall and slender. Bush is shorter and bulky. But each understands how to play to his strengths.
Bush is showing the football IQ he inherited from his father, who played eight years in the league as a defensive back. The Steelers linebacker is a no-nonsense, watch-me-fly-around-the-field player. There was a moment in Sunday’s game when a Denver offensive lineman kept his hands on Bush longer than was necessary. You could see Bush put his arms up and yell something at the lineman. That shows me a player who keeps his emotions in check. He wasn’t going to take a silly retaliatory penalty and cost his team. I love seeing that maturity from a young buck. Bush is a blur and tackling machine on the gridiron.
There are good problems to have, but at the end of the day they are still problems. That comes to mind watching Bud Dupree and Mike Hilton. It’s going to be damn near impossible to keep Dupree and Hilton next season. Both players have really developed after there were questions surrounding each. Dupree, 27, was a first rounder in 2015 and fans expected him to make an immediate impact. Hilton, 26, was an undrafted free agent who signed with Jacksonville in 2016.
Sometimes, players need time to develop. Dupree is now excelling opposite T.J. Watt. In Week 1, Dupree’s dogged pursuit of Daniel Jones led to a Heyward interception. In Week 2, his punishing hit on Lock ended the quarterback’s afternoon. Those plays happened because he’s running around like Speedy Gonzales with the power of Hulk Hogan. In a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, quarterbacks able to make plays with their feet, Dupree’s quickness is a huge asset for the black and gold.
As for Hilton, he’s found new life under Keith Butler. There are defensive coaches around the league showing clips of Hilton and probably saying, ‘This is how you properly blitz.' The defensive back made a number of good plays Sunday. For me, his best play was watching him slip under Broncos blocking a perimeter screen to make a tackle for loss. That’s hard work, skill and football smarts all in one play. Don’t let his size fool you, he’s a big dog.
Hilton is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. I wish the Steelers had found a way to lock him up because he deserves it. He continues to make plays, which means his asking price likely will skyrocket. But that's another story for season's end.
Right now, let's enjoy what these players bring to the Steelers for the rest of the year -- and hopefully into January and even February.
