Why Ryan Switzer should have been as good on the Steelers as Ray-Ray McCloud

As an offensive weapon

Based on their base stats alone, neither McCloud nor Switzer have been dynamic threats on offense. Take away McCloud’s 58-yard rush against the Eagles, and he has barely done anything on offense with 10 receptions for 50 yards. He is currently averaging less than what Switzer averaged during his full season (7.0 yards/reception in 2018). Digging deeper, the advanced stats tell a better picture.

While both players are seen as slot options, neither have been used properly in that role. Both Switzer and McCloud have been nothing more than gadget players. Switzer lined up as a running back on occasion and was never running true routes out of the slot. His ADOT (average pass depth per target) was 3.4 in 2018 and 1.5 in 2019 (a 2.45 average). Compare that to JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Steelers more traditional slot options, whose ADOT has averaged out at 8.13.

Worse yet is McCloud, whose ADOT to this point is -1.5. This means he has been catching the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage almost every play. He, like Switzer, aren’t running traditional routes as receivers. They are given short passes and are expected to make guys miss.

That said, getting the ball behind the line of scrimmage gives McCloud a slight advantage. He will have a blocker or two in front of him when he makes the catch which can allow for a little bit more space to make a move after the catch. Switzer was running short routes with no one preparing to block for him. It was almost like the Steelers didn’t commit to him being solely a gadget player like they have with McCloud.