Steelers vs. Seahawks: Winners and losers from week 6 win

Steelers loser: Chasee Claypool

To be frank, I and most of Steelers nation expected a stronger day from Chase Claypool. While not the most consistent receiver on the roster, the expectation was for him to take on JuJu Smith-Schuster’s role in the slot and see an increase in looks. He never capitalized off that though, and as a result, he posted a disappointing stat line of two receptions for 17 yards.

Part of the issue was he was never given the chance to truly thrive in the slot. The Steelers had a surprisingly large amount of rotation at receiver, and Ray-Ray McCloud actually saw a lot of snaps. That doesn’t excuse Claypool’s bad play though, as he failed to capitalize on any of his targets. Add in his late-game pass interference call and it was a very disappointing game for the ascending second-year receiver.

The Steelers would be wise to allow him to work heavily out of the slot moving forward. At this point in his career, he may not be capable of consistently switching out between slot work and outside receiving tasks. In terms of what he can personally do, Claypool needs to be more consistent and create more big plays. He failed to do that this week, and as a result, he finds a home on the loser’s list.