Wide receivers shine in Week 3, emerge from the shadows

There’s been plenty of criticism for the Steelers about not doing enough to replace Diontae Johnson on their offense. Veteran journeyman Van Jefferson as the No. 2 receiver isn’t exactly an appealing option on paper.

But what happens when the de-facto starter opposite George Pickens goes down? Sunday, the supporting cast stepped up and played key roles in a 20-10 win against the previously unbeaten Chargers.

Jefferson got poked in the eye while blocking in the first quarter and didn’t regain his vision until the fourth. He told receivers coach Zach Azzanni not to put him back in the game unless it was to block, because he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to look in a pass from quarterback Justin Fields.

But Scotty Miller got busy in his place, and Calvin Austin III popped off for a career game, giving the offense a jolt when some of its usual suspects were either missing time or missing opportunities.

“They’re studs,” said tight end Pat Freiermuth. “They’re small guys, but they’re not afraid of contact, and I think that’s why they fit in Pittsburgh so well. Justin was throwing it in there, and the guys were making plays, so it was great.”

Fields has no choice but to hit some tight windows when throwing to Miller, who’s barely 5-foot-9, and Austin, who’s not quite 5-8. Austin’s four catches for 95 yards were impressive, although also somewhat of a reprise of his 72-yard touchdown catch last season from Kenny Pickett.

Miller is new to Pittsburgh and showed why he made this team as a somewhat surprise pick out of training camp. He had two receptions for 31 yards, the first of which was a pivotal catch-and-run on which he broke a tackle and took for a gain of 20 into the red zone. Miller could be an asset for a thin receiving corps going forward, even if rookie Roman Wilson makes his debut next week now that he’s healthy and practicing in full.

And both boosted the offense with big plays on a day that Freiermuth and Pickens were relatively quiet, combining for 90 yards on nine catches and 12 targets. Freiermuth was disappointed in himself for not pulling in a perfect pass by Fields that threaded the needle through three defenders while driving late in the first half.

“That was ridiculous by me,” said Freiermuth, who signed a new contract before the regular season. “I should’ve caught that. I’m paid to make those plays, so I’ve got to learn from that, make that play next time and continue to grow.”

Jones makes a statement

Broderick Jones was back in as a starter after Troy Fautanu left practice Friday and landed on injured reserve. Jones blocked Chargers pass rusher Joey Bosa to the whistle and possibly through the whistle on the Steelers’ first offensive snap of the game.

Bosa got up wincing and came back in for a play or two but ultimately bowed out for the remainder of the game with an aggravation of the hip injury he was dealing with in recent weeks.

“I just had my hands on him, and I was just thinking about finishing the play,” Jones said. “That’s all it was. I hope he’s good at the end of the day. I’m not out here to hurt anybody, but football is football. It’s a dangerous sport.”

And Bosa was far from the only standout who went down Sunday. Both starting tackles got dinged up for the Chargers, while the Steelers lost Alex Highsmith and Cory Trice to groin injuries in-game. Starting cornerback Donte Jackson hurt his right arm late in the first half but returned after missing a couple snaps.

Another rotation

Speaking of the offensive line, one week after rolling through Fautanu and Jones at right tackle, the Steelers swapped out starting left guard Spencer Anderson for Mason McCormick in-game and alternated them for much of the day. McCormick, a fourth-round rookie out of South Dakota State, had a feeling he’d be used as an extra lineman in some jumbo packages but didn’t necessarily expect to play as much as he did at guard.

“I don’t really know. I just know I’m gonna be ready when my number’s called,” McCormick said. “I was excited for the opportunity, and I know I’m able to handle it.”

McCormick hadn’t played an offensive snap through the first two games, with Anderson starting in place of Isaac Seumalo, who has a pectoral injury but could return next week.

Porter’s slip-up

The Chargers scored their lone touchdown on a coverage breakdown by the Steelers secondary that resulted in a 27-yard score for Quentin Johnston with 2:46 left in the first quarter. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. appeared to be out of position when Justin Herbert manipulated him and found Johnston, whom Porter shadowed most of the game.

“I don’t think it was a miscommunication,” Porter said. “It was just a great call from their offensive coordinator. It’s the NFL. They have good calls and a good quarterback. He just made a good play.”

Porter added that he liked how he and his teammates responded from there, shutting down the Chargers offense with and without Herbert under center.