The Steelers are not taking their time with rookie Chase Claypool. They saw what he is capable of during training camp and have used him on the field accordingly. He has taken full advantage of his opportunities on the field. Over the past two weeks, he has gone 5-5 for receptions with 127 receiving yards and not one drop. Claypool says the Steelers are not asking him to do too much, but rather just make a play here and there.
"They're not asking me to do too much. To make a play here and there is definitely something I can do."
That is what Claypool has done over the past two weeks. With a spectacular toe-tap catch for his first reception in his first game to his 84-yard touchdown catch today from Ben Roethlisberger. Chase had an idea the ball was coming his way when Ben called the play. He just knew he had to win the route.
“Sometimes, you hear the play call and you know you’re going to score or know the ball is coming your way," Claypool said. "That was one of those plays where I knew I had a pretty good chance to get the ball. I just had to win on the route. Ben put it in a pretty perfect spot to do that.”
Ben Roethlisberger said he didn't even get to see Chase catch the ball because the Broncos blitzed down the middle on the play so he had to quickly get rid of it.
“They blitzed the guy up the middle, so I didn’t have a lot of time,” Roethlisberger said. “I just kind of threw it far and high and let Chase run under it, and he really did all the work.”
Claypool acknowledged Ben Roethlisberger's throw was perfectly placed. All he had to do was just get under the ball and it was there.
"Usually it's tough to focus on a ball when you're running full speed because your head is shaking a little bit, Claypool said," but Ben loft it up pretty good to where it wasn't that hard to see the ball. "I really just had to run under it and it was there."
Chase said he had an idea the ball was coming his way when he saw the Broncos defense press him at the line. He just knew he had to win the route.
"I knew most of the Bronco's DB's were backed up and I knew if they were backed up I wouldn't have caught that ball," Claypool said, but when we went to line up I noticed the DB was pressed which is really good for that play call."
The rookie feels the coaches are doing a great job of easing him into the game and not asking too much from him. Getting to the playbook in the virtual minicamp also helped him visualize things on the field too.
"I think the coaches are doing a really good job in easing me into the games in terms of throwing me into the fire and not asking too much," Claypool said. "Making a play here and there is something that I can do and as the season progresses I just plan on playing more and more.
“It was honestly super helpful that we were able to get to the playbook in the virtual minicamp. I would get the plays and then run through them on the field with my coaches back home. I think that helped me visualize things.”
Claypool has adjusted to the Steelers system quite nicely. With no preseason and a virtual minicamp, he has done all you could ask for from an NFL rookie in his past two games. As Claypool gets more time on the field with the Steelers the better he is going to get. The sky is the limit for rookie Chase Claypool.
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