JuJu Smith-Schuster knows how to deliver in Pittsburgh.
The former Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs wideout has been a massive disappointment in New England to date, entering Week 14 with just 170 receiving yards on 25 catches through 10 games after signing a three-year, $25 million contract with the Patriots this offseason.
Smith-Schuster turned back the clock at his former NFL home, however, reeling in four catches for a season-high 90 yards in the Patriots' stunning 21-18 upset of the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
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"It means a lot,” Smith-Schuster told reporters after the game. “Honestly, 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."
New England entered Thursday with incredibly low expectations after scoring 13 points total in its previous three games. But Smith-Schuster gave the team a spark on its first offensive drive of the game when he snagged a 37-yard deep ball from quarterback Bailey Zappe.
Remarkably, Smith-Schuster's catch was the Patriots' first completion of 30-plus air yards of the season, and it set up Ezekiel Elliott's 11-yard score to put New England up 7-0. Smith-Schuster added another reception of 28 yards on a slant route in the second quarter to set up the Patriots' third TD of the first half.
This is the kind of production the Patriots were hoping for when they let Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency and signed Smith-Schuster to a similar deal. That decision obviously hasn't panned out, as Meyers is enjoying an excellent season with the Las Vegas Raiders (52 catches, 591 yards, six touchdowns).
Still, Smith-Schuster is one of the team's few offensive skill players under contract past this season, so Thursday night was an encouraging sign that he can be a productive player for the Patriots in 2024 and beyond.
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Smith-Schuster is one of three players who earned a "Stock Up" label in Phil Perry's "Stock Watch" report for Week 14. See below for the full Stock Watch and check out the video above for Perry's full breakdown.
Stock Up
- Bailey Zappe, QB
- Hunter Henry, TE
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
Stock Down
- J.C. Jackson, CB
- Ty Montgomery, RB
- Patriots discipline