Is Steelers WR Chase Claypool getting the ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ treatment?

Chase Claypool has been excellent for the Steelers so far, but here’s why he’s not being treated fairly down the field.

The Pittsburgh Steelers squeaked past the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 in a game that included some poor officiating on both sides. There were some questionable calls that no doubt had an impact on the game for both teams, but the no-calls in this game were even more concerning.

At the brunt of them, yet again, was rookie wide receiver, Chase Claypool. Since his explosive start under the NFL spotlight that included a 4-touchdown game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Pittsburgh’s fourth game of the season, the big wideout has been bumped, pushed, grabbed, and even tackled while trying to make plays down the field.

This happened at least twice against the Cowboys. On the first drive of the game for the Steelers, Claypool ran a beautiful ‘out-and-up’, but the cornerback contacted him at the top of his route. Though the pass still could have been caught, there’s no question that the illegal contact impeded his ability to run underneath the ball. That was seven points wiped off the board for Pittsburgh.

The second obvious missed call against Claypool came late in the second half during crucial moments of the game. Chase ran a ‘go’ route and gained a few steps on Cowboys cornerback, Anthony Brown. However, Brown not only tugged Claypool’s jersey, but he also tackled him while the ball was in the air.

Though the refs may have deemed this uncatchable, this was only the case because Claypool was being interfered with most of the way down the field. At the very least, there should have been a defensive holding call.

Is the Steelers WR getting the ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ treatment?

If you watched professional basketball in the 1990s or 2000s, you know exactly what I am talking about. Standing at 7’1” and 325 pounds, Shaquille O’Neal routinely the biggest player on the court. However, because he was so much bigger than the players guarding him, the refs often didn’t notice when he was fouled. When they did call a foul on the defense, the results (Shaq going to the free-throw line) wasn’t nearly as bad as they could have been (getting posterized).

This could be what has been happening to Chase Claypool when he goes down the field. At 6’4” and 238 pounds, Claypool is bigger than any cornerback he will ever be matched up against, and he is faster than most as well. These cornerbacks know that they won’t have a chance if Claypool gets behind them with his ability to put his foot in the ground and go up and get the ball.

Because of this, defenders try to hold, grab, or push Claypool to avoid getting embarrassed by him down the field. Smart NFL coaches know that the refs aren’t going to call it every time, so it’s worth getting a few penalties called if they can keep Claypool in front of them on some of these deep passes that would otherwise go for touchdowns.

I’m not going to sit here and mope about the penalties that should have been called this season, and we all know the Steelers have gotten their share as well. But it sure does seem like Chase Claypool is receiving the ‘Hack-a-Shack’ treatment against smaller defensive backs down the field over the past few games.