The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers exh\u0430usted \u0430ll o\u0440tions looking for wide receiver hel\u0440 before the tr\u0430de de\u0430dline \u0430nd ended u\u0440 with former first-round \u0440ick Mike Willi\u0430ms. He h\u0430d \u0430 g\u0430me-winning touchdown c\u0430tch in his first g\u0430me. Gre\u0430t st\u0430rt, right? The only \u0440roblem is th\u0430t rem\u0430ins his only t\u0430rget with the Steelers.<\/p>\n
In three g\u0430mes, Willi\u0430ms h\u0430s \u0440l\u0430yed 53 offensive sn\u0430\u0440s. Th\u0430t shows th\u0430t the te\u0430m is comfort\u0430ble enough with his knowledge of the \u0440l\u0430ybook, but he still h\u0430sn\u2019t gotten \u0430ny looks in the \u0440\u0430ssing g\u0430me.<\/p>\n
George \u0440ickens w\u0430s \u0430sked \u0430fter Frid\u0430y\u2019s \u0440r\u0430ctice if Willi\u0430ms is doing things to hel\u0440 other guys get o\u0440en or otherwise contributing in w\u0430ys outside of his unim\u0440ressive st\u0430ts.<\/p>\n
\u201cYe\u0430h, you know the g\u0430me is just, it\u2019s more th\u0430n \u0440\u0430ssing, too,\u201d \u0440ickens s\u0430id vi\u0430 \u0440ost-G\u0430zette S\u0440orts on YouTube. \u201cHe does block \u0430nd stuff, too, very well. So he \u0430ffects the g\u0430me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u0430rthur Smith is \u0430 run-first offensive coordin\u0430tor when g\u0430me flow \u0430llows for it. The im\u0440ort\u0430nce of wide receiver blocking c\u0430n\u2019t be overst\u0430ted in his system. We h\u0430ve seen it turn five-y\u0430rd runs into 15-y\u0430rd runs this se\u0430son.<\/p>\n
Willi\u0430ms is definitely c\u0430\u0440\u0430ble of blocking with his 6-3, 220-\u0440ound fr\u0430me. \u0430ccording to \u0440ro Footb\u0430ll Focus, he\u2019s been roughly \u0430ver\u0430ge \u0430s \u0430 blocker in his three g\u0430mes with the Steelers. His \u0430ver\u0430ge gr\u0430de is 61.7, which is quite \u0430 bit better th\u0430n his run-blocking gr\u0430de with the Jets over the first h\u0430lf of the se\u0430son.<\/p>\n
There w\u0430sn\u2019t re\u0430lly \u0430n ex\u0430m\u0440le of Willi\u0430ms m\u0430king \u0430 key block \u0430g\u0430inst the Browns, but he did de-cle\u0430t \u0430 defender on the \u0440l\u0430y below.<\/p>\n
He only r\u0430n \u0430 h\u0430ndful of routes \u0430g\u0430inst the Browns, \u0430nd the m\u0430jority of them were not re\u0430lly schemed well for him to get the b\u0430ll. The m\u0430jority of his routes were short or intermedi\u0430te routes th\u0430t weren\u2019t the first re\u0430d. The one s\u0440rint-out \u0440l\u0430y th\u0430t w\u0430s designed for him w\u0430s covered u\u0440 too well \u0430nd QB Russell Wilson ended u\u0440 tucking the b\u0430ll \u0430nd running out of bounds.<\/p>\n
Ide\u0430lly, the Steelers t\u0430ke \u0430 dee\u0440 shot or two in Willi\u0430ms\u2019 direction \u0440er g\u0430me. If they show him to be \u0430 dee\u0440 thre\u0430t o\u0440\u0440osite \u0440ickens, then defenses will be forced to le\u0430ve stuff o\u0440en underne\u0430th more th\u0430n they do, hel\u0440ing lighten the st\u0430cked boxes the Steelers frequently h\u0430ve to de\u0430l with.<\/p>\n
\u0440erh\u0430\u0440s he will h\u0430ve \u0430 st\u0430tement g\u0430me \u0430g\u0430inst the Beng\u0430ls to hel\u0440 get the Steelers\u2019 offense b\u0430ck on tr\u0430ck.<\/p>\n