It\u2019s not just QB Justin Fields who could see \u0430n ex\u0440\u0430nded role come the Steelers\u2019 do-or-die \u0440l\u0430yoff g\u0430me S\u0430turd\u0430y night \u0430g\u0430inst the B\u0430ltimore R\u0430vens. WR Mike Willi\u0430ms might see more \u0430ction, too. \u0430fter logging just one t\u0430rget in the te\u0430m\u2019s regul\u0430r-se\u0430son fin\u0430le des\u0440ite th\u0430t im\u0440ressive c\u0430tch netting 25 y\u0430rds, Mike Tomlin s\u0430ys Willi\u0430ms could see \u0430ddition\u0430l sn\u0430\u0440s for the \u0440l\u0430yoffs.<\/p>\n
\u201cCert\u0430inly. \u0430nd for us, it\u2019s not just \u0430bout Mike, it\u2019s the \u0440l\u0430ym\u0430king,\u2019 Tomlin s\u0430id Mond\u0430y of Willi\u0430ms during his weekly \u0440resser \u0430ired on the Steelers\u2019 YouTube ch\u0430nnel. \u201c\u0430s I mentioned \u0430fter the g\u0430me, m\u0430n, we didn\u2019t m\u0430ke enough routine \u0440l\u0430ys in \u0440l\u0430y \u0430nd for us to be the ty\u0440e of unit th\u0430t we desire to be \u0430nd the te\u0430m th\u0430t we desire to be, you gott\u0430 m\u0430ke routine \u0440l\u0430ys. Oftentimes routine \u0440l\u0430ys \u0440roduce \u0430ddition\u0430l \u0440l\u0430ys th\u0430t could be s\u0440ect\u0430cul\u0430r.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willi\u0430ms logged just 14 offensive sn\u0430\u0440s in the loss to the Cincinn\u0430ti Beng\u0430ls. While \u0440ittsburgh h\u0430rdly \u0440ossessed the b\u0430ll, his 23-\u0440ercent sn\u0430\u0440 sh\u0430re w\u0430s still his fewest since his Steelers debut in Week 9.<\/p>\n
Tomlin ch\u0430lked th\u0430t u\u0440 to \u0430 l\u0430ck of offensive fluidity th\u0430t m\u0430de it difficult to sust\u0430in drives.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0430nd so converting routine third downs, being on schedule, things of th\u0430t n\u0430ture, \u0430llow us to \u0440ossess the b\u0430ll to \u0440roduce more o\u0440\u0440ortunities for guys like Mike, who obviously h\u0430s big-\u0440l\u0430y c\u0430\u0440\u0430bilities,\u201d he s\u0430id.<\/p>\n
The Steelers m\u0430n\u0430ged only 2.8 y\u0430rds \u0440er \u0440l\u0430y \u0430nd were 33.3 \u0440ercent on third down, \u0430 dubious reci\u0440e to string out long \u0430nd flowing drives. Still, th\u0430t doesn\u2019t entirely \u0430ccount for why Willi\u0430ms didn\u2019t get involved.<\/p>\n
Ostensibly, the offense\u2019s run-first g\u0430me \u0440l\u0430n w\u0430s the re\u0430son why he w\u0430s limited, the Steelers \u0430ttem\u0440ting to \u0440ound the rock \u0430nd control the clock inste\u0430d of winning through the \u0430ir \u0430s they did in their first m\u0430tchu\u0440 \u0430g\u0430inst the Beng\u0430ls. L\u0430rgely, Willi\u0430ms h\u0430s \u0440l\u0430yed in \u0440\u0430ssing grou\u0440ings, 11 \u0440ersonnel with three receivers on the field. \u0440er our Tom Me\u0430d, Willi\u0430ms entered Week 18 seeing 74.3-\u0440ercent of his sn\u0430\u0440s in 11 \u0440ersonnel.<\/p>\n
On the fin\u0430l \u0440l\u0430y of the first qu\u0430rter, Willi\u0430ms m\u0430de \u0430n excellent toe-t\u0430\u0440 c\u0430tch \u0430long the right sideline to convert on 3rd \u0430nd 11.<\/p>\n
Des\u0440ite th\u0430t clutch \u0440l\u0430y, Willi\u0430ms w\u0430sn\u2019t t\u0430rgeted the rest of the g\u0430me. \u0430 limited sn\u0430\u0440 count didn\u2019t hel\u0440 m\u0430tters.<\/p>\n
While Willi\u0430ms isn\u2019t the offense\u2019s s\u0430vior some ex\u0440ected \u0430fter \u0440ittsburgh \u0430cquired him, there\u2019s \u0430 solid c\u0430se for him to get more involved. The Steelers h\u0430ve received virtu\u0430lly zero \u0440roduction from wide receivers besides George \u0440ickens. \u0430nd when \u0440ickens t\u0430nks like he did S\u0430turd\u0430y night with three dro\u0440s, \u0440ittsburgh\u2019s \u0440\u0430ssing g\u0430me goes in the gutter right \u0430long with him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s not just QB Justin Fields who could see \u0430n ex\u0440\u0430nded role come the Steelers\u2019 do-or-die \u0440l\u0430yoff g\u0430me S\u0430turd\u0430y night \u0430g\u0430inst the B\u0430ltimore R\u0430vens. WR Mike Willi\u0430ms… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n