PITTSBURGH — If it weren’t for Mac Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster would be the poster child for the Patriots’ brutal season on offense. Signed to be an upgrade over Jakobi Meyers, Smith-Schuster was a total non-factor in the first 13 weeks of the season.
There were injuries. There were drops. There were trade rumors. There was a sideline spat with Troy Brown.
Then Thursday night happened.
Playing in front of his old fans, Smith-Schuster caught four balls for a season-high 90 yards in New England’s feel-good win over the Steelers. His previous high in a Patriots uniform was 51 yards.
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“It means a lot, honestly,” Smith-Schuster said of beating his former team. “Started my career here and coming back here and getting a ‘W.’ Love being on this side of the ball, I’ll tell you that.”
Smith-Schuster, who spent five seasons in Pittsburgh, still has a soft spot for the franchise that drafted him in 2017.
“I have so much love for the fans,” he said. “I probably have more Steelers jerseys still than the Patriots. This is a great organization. Mr. Rooney, what he’s done with this organization it’s awesome. It was nice to be back for a little bit.”
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Smith-Schuster wasted little time. On the Patriots’ first drive, which ended in a touchdown, he hauled in a ridiculous, season-best 37-yard catch.
“I think that first catch kind of set the tone for our offense on our first drive,” he said.
Sophomore quarterback Bailey Zappe broke down the play during his postgame news conference.
“We alerted to it,” said Zappe, who also impressed in the winning effort. “My read was reading a certain somebody. That certain somebody drove the quick out, it was one-on-one with JuJu on the corner. It was underthrown a little bit by me. He was able to go up there and make a 50-50 catch.
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“He’s been able to do that throughout his whole career. To be able to throw it up there to him, see him go make that play, especially back where it all started for him, is awesome. For me as a quarterback, just giving these guys chances to go make plays, and that’s what we did tonight.”
It’s been a rough season for Smith-Schuster, to say the least. But he appears to be well-liked in the locker room, and you could tell that Patriots leaders felt good for him after his biggest game of the campaign.
“I know that meant a lot to him,” Hunter Henry said. “Especially here, getting a win against those guys. He’s a hard worker, a guy that’s always around, always trying to get better. And I’m happy for him to have some success tonight.”
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Ezekiel Elliott added: “JuJu had some really big plays today. Two of the bigger plays of the game. I know it feels good for him to be able to come back and make plays where he was drafted and get a win. I’m super happy for JuJu.”
Bill Belichick sang a similar tune.
“Made a couple tough catches in there, third down conversions,” New England’s head coach said of Smith-Schuster. “Blocked well. Blocked hard. We sent him in there on (Minkah) Fitzpatrick most of the day. So, took advantage of his opportunities, did a good job.”
Perhaps Smith-Schuster finally is feeling close to 100% after dealing with knee issues during the summer. Maybe he just was able to exploit a flawed defense that he knows well. Maybe Zappe was the difference.
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Regardless of the reason, it was a long-overdue breakout for Smith-Schuster — and the timing couldn’t have been better.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
