Wide receivers can run 35 routes in a game and only see three or four targets. But that doesn’t mean they stop making an impact. Downfield blocking—often overlooked—is a separator between good and great offenses.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ scrappy WR room has a motto this year that encapsulates that idea.
“Calvin Austin III told me that the receivers are keeping each other accountable for blocking downfield,” Jeremy Fowler wrote on ESPN. “No loafing allowed.”
George Pickens and Diontae Johnson set a low standard for downfield blocking over the last couple seasons, but both are no longer on the roster.