When the Pittsburgh Steelers needed him the most, wide receiver Steven Sims provided two clutch plays on the game-winning drive to put the team in a position to give rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett a shot to find Najee Harris in the end zone for the 16-13 lead. Back in November when Pittsburgh sent much-maligned pass-catcher Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick, many asked if Sims would be in line to take on some of Claypool’s duties in Matt Canada‘s offense. The team’s primary kick returner’s skill set as a slot receiver who can run the jet sweep plays, previously taken by the big Canadian, seemed like the easy answer, even if he’s only 5-foot-10.
The four-year NFL veteran, who joined Pittsburgh after a pair of seasons with the Washington Commanders, hasn’t seen the same kind of usage or targets as Claypool this season. The 25-year-old who played four years at Kansas has yet to surpass 50% of snaps on offense and has twice hit four targets (both in games against Baltimore) this season, while the traded Claypool hovered above 80% and was targeted six or more times in seven of the eight games before he was shipped off to the Windy City.
Against Baltimore, it wasn’t the quantity of his usage, but the timing. In the final drive before Pittsburgh sent Pickett out in victory formation to kill the clock, it was Sims who made catches of 28 and 4 yards to put the team in the red zone.
Steelers QB1 Giving Credit Where It’s Due
Sometimes in the biggest moments, it’s not the biggest names that come up with the plays. It wasn’t emerging star rookie, George Pickens or Diontae Johnson making the grabs to put the team in a position to score. It was the third guy on the depth chart and in usage in the game per Pro Football Reference coming up in the clutch and his quarterback made sure to make note of it.
On the 28-yard snag, his longest play from scrimmage of the year, Sims beat Ravens rookie safety Kyle Hamilton out of the slot with a burst of speed and found an open pocket in the defense between Chuck Clark and Marcus Williams. Pickett fired the ball to his open man and the pair connected on the next play to get the team four yards closer to pay dirt.
“You never know when your number is going to be called and Stevie stepped up huge for us,” Pickett said in his postgame press conference. “If he didn’t bend, it wouldn’t have worked out well. That was one of those timing and trust things that he was going to bend in front of that safety and he made a hell of a catch and it was a huge play for us.”
Sims may not have totally replaced what Claypool was doing before his exit, but when the team needed him, he stepped up and provided a huge spark. The young pass catcher is up for a new contract at the end of this season after signing a one-year, $895,000 deal per Spotrac.com before the year.
Should the organization prioritize bringing him back this offseason? He’s already proven his value in the return game. His role on offense is still evolving, but if he can keep making the kinds of plays he did this week, he’s one step closer to an extension.
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