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Brooke Pryor
PITTSBURGH — Robert Woods paused as he looked for the suitable phrase to explain his fellow Pittsburgh Steelers huge receivers.
“From high to backside everyone is type of dirty,” he mentioned, his voice rising louder to emphasise the rigorously chosen adjective.
Dirty won’t appear to be probably the most fascinating descriptor, however the 12-year NFL veteran means it as a praise. Critically.
“You see guys who’re eager to battle for one another and play for one another and guys are ending down the sector blocking,” he mentioned. “We’ll be bodily in our room. We’ll be dirty. We’ll be combating to the tip of the whistle. Enjoying with — and with out — the soccer, I believe, is the largest factor in our room.”
Although the staff acquired DK Metcalf in an uncharacteristic blockbuster deal previous to the beginning of free company, the Might commerce of George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys sends the Steelers into one other season with a query mark behind the No. 1 huge receiver. Embracing a “dirty” mentality, although, is one option to elevate the ensemble place group.
“We have now to be dirty,” fourth-year receiver Calvin Austin III mentioned. “On this league everyone is so gifted that your expertise is not going to at all times win. You bought to have that little edge about your self. And so it isn’t nearly people, it is our complete room, and our complete room is behind that and we’ll present that on the sector.”
Maybe nobody embodies being dirty greater than Ben Skowronek, who was endearingly nicknamed “Dirtbag” by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith final season for the receiver’s willingness to do the soiled work.
“That is type of what I do on the market,” Skowronek mentioned. “And for the offense, whether or not it is digging out help, no matter Artwork requested me to do, simply attempt to do it to the very best of my means, and type of set the tone for physicality and stuff like that. The offensive line is bodily, working backs, tight ends. So why not be bodily at receiver, too?”
Skowronek, who grew up watching Steelers groups that includes heavy hitters equivalent to receiver Hines Ward and linebacker James Harrison, received an early alternative to carry physicality to an offense when he performed for the Los Angeles Rams as a rookie in 2021. He and Woods had been teammates then, and when Woods tore his ACL halfway via the season, Skowronek stuffed his function as a hard-hitting, do-everything receiver.
“I needed to step in and do lots of stuff within the run sport, nevertheless it’s actually, be bodily, or they’ll discover another person who may be bodily,” Skowronek mentioned. “I get pleasure from type of being the enforcer on the market for the receiver room.”
The enforcer contained in the receiver room, although, is place coach Zach Azzanni. Recognizing that he wasn’t probably the most gifted receiver at Central Michigan within the Nineteen Nineties, Azzanni resolved to make up for his shortcomings by doing the soiled work. As soon as he started his teaching profession, he made positive to instill that very same mindset in his gamers.
“While you’re a less-than-talented participant like myself, however you are in a position to play, you discover methods to make your self related,” he mentioned. “I at all times mentioned if I ever had a bunch of actually gifted guys and we additionally performed that method, the sky is the restrict. You bought to get the suitable guys to purchase into that. We have now the suitable guys, too.
“We’re essential within the run sport. The run sport units up the cross sport, so we need to be often known as that. We play within the AFC North. We play for the Steelers, so we received to instill that again on this room and get that old-fashioned mentality again.”
To try this, Azzanni coaches his gamers on three letters: RDA — routes, self-discipline, perspective.
“It is an perspective that you simply’re delivering each single day, the place you come out right here and also you method the sport, method each down, actually,” Woods mentioned. “It is simply your perspective and your drive and also you need to. You see all our guys observe the RDA, and simply put it on tape, whether or not it is the end route, self-discipline method, all the pieces’s vital.”
These core tenets are particularly necessary because the Steelers huge receivers regulate to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his infamous calls for of perfection from his cross catchers.
Azzanni, although, has one thing of an inside monitor relating to serving to his huge receivers get on the identical web page with Rodgers. Azzanni spent the 2023 season with the New York Jets, and although Rodgers missed all however 4 snaps of the common season, Azzanni realized what Rodgers appreciated via offseason and coaching camp practices.
“I really like that problem,” Azzanni mentioned of getting a demanding quarterback. “I like that. I would relatively have somebody that is dialed into the element within the perimeter, and people guys in the end must be on the identical web page. I perceive that he is exhausting on receivers, and I like that as a result of I am exhausting on receivers.”
So in a large receiver room stuffed with self-proclaimed dirty guys, who’s the grimiest?
Depends upon whom you ask.
“I must say me,” Woods mentioned with amusing. “Yeah, I get down in it, whether or not it is a d-lineman, linebacker, safeties, corners, simply enjoying bodily with and with out the soccer. If it is third-and-6 and I am 4 yards deep, we’ll discover a option to get these additional two. And even whether it is with out the soccer, blocking on the 1-yard line, we’re ensuring our working again will get ultimately zone. I believe that is the mentality of this complete staff. Coach Tomlin mentioned he invested some huge cash within the bigs, and we received to be bodily.”
Skowronek, although, additionally wished a declare to the title.
“I imply, I would wish to say myself,” he mentioned. “However I really feel like you need to have that mentality, so I do not know. You may ask anyone else that query.”
