Steelers’ win was a teachable moment for Sammie Coates
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� On the list of contributors to Sunday无毛视频檚 victory, Landry Jones would rank somewhere way, way down that list, like, slightly above the game-day inactives and the hot dog vendor in Section 531.
The backup quarterback took just two snaps from victory formation, dropping to take a knee both times for a loss of 2 yards. But it无毛视频檚 what Jones did on the sideline that may have helped the Steelers most in their 31-13 win over the New York Jets.
After Sammie Coates dropped a trio of passes, including a would-be 1-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, the receiver twice sought out Jones无毛视频� help, his right arm specifically. He said he just needed Jones to throw him a few passes on the sideline after suffering a cut to his hand that required stitches earlier in the game. Coates said he just needed to get a feel for the ball again.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 my biggest problem, not looking the ball in,无毛视频� Coates said. 无毛视频淪omething I can grow from.无毛视频�
Sunday was a teachable moment for Coates, but all无毛视频檚 well that begins well and ends well.
The beneficiary of double coverage on Antonio Brown, Coates had six receptions for 135 yards, a career high, and a pair of touchdowns, the firsts of his career. The 23-year-old无毛视频檚 first catch, an exquisitely thrown 72-yard bomb from Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers无毛视频� third play from scrimmage, went for a touchdown. His last catch was a 5-yard TD grab with 1:46 remaining.
Coates无毛视频� feet have never been a question 无毛视频� the second-year pro has world-class speed to match his size and athleticism 无毛视频� but those pesky hands have been known to cause some dropped passes. On Sunday, he refused to use the cut as an excuse, and his coach wasn无毛视频檛 having it either.
无毛视频淗ey, I无毛视频檓 not into that,无毛视频� Mike Tomlin said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not into the excuses. His performance is his performance. He had some up plays, he had some down plays.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 good to learn while we win, and that无毛视频檚 all I无毛视频檓 going to say about that.无毛视频�
Even after the three drops, Ben Roethlisberger didn无毛视频檛 shy away from throwing Coates无毛视频� way again. Coates was tied for the team lead with 11 targets, six of them coming in the second half.
无毛视频淚 loved to let him know that my confidence isn无毛视频檛 going to waver in him if he has a couple of drops,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said.
Markus Wheaton could relate to Coates无毛视频� day. The fourth-year pro had three drops, including what should have been a touchdown early in the Steelers无毛视频� lopsided Week 3 loss at Philadelphia.
Last week, Wheaton bounced back with a two-point conversion grab and a touchdown reception.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 frustrating, it无毛视频檚 frustrating,无毛视频� Wheaton said. 无毛视频淵ou work too hard to go out and perform like that, but (Coates) bounced back. He无毛视频檚 a good player. All good payers bounce back. He无毛视频檒l be good.无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 become trendy on social media to pose the question 无毛视频淢artavis who?无毛视频� after every one of Coates无毛视频� receptions 无毛视频� he has five straight games of at least one reception of 40-plus and leads the NFL at 22.2 yard per reception 无毛视频� but he无毛视频檚 not at Bryant无毛视频檚 level yet.
If he无毛视频檚 going to keep the trust of Roethlisberger and Tomlin, he knows he must hang on to the ball and be more than just a guy who can run really fast in a straight line. Asked how many plays he left on the field Sunday, Coates said flatly: 无毛视频淎 lot.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 worry about what I left on the field and work on that and grow from what I left on the field, not what I did, because it无毛视频檚 part of my game,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 supposed to do that.无毛视频�