Steelers’ win was a teachable moment for Sammie Coates
PITTSBURGH 鈥� On the list of contributors to Sunday鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥� 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.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my biggest problem, not looking the ball in,鈥� Coates said. 鈥淪omething I can grow from.鈥�
Sunday was a teachable moment for Coates, but all鈥檚 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鈥檚 first catch, an exquisitely thrown 72-yard bomb from Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers鈥� third play from scrimmage, went for a touchdown. His last catch was a 5-yard TD grab with 1:46 remaining.
Coates鈥� feet have never been a question 鈥� the second-year pro has world-class speed to match his size and athleticism 鈥� 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鈥檛 having it either.
鈥淗ey, I鈥檓 not into that,鈥� Mike Tomlin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not into the excuses. His performance is his performance. He had some up plays, he had some down plays.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to learn while we win, and that鈥檚 all I鈥檓 going to say about that.鈥�
Even after the three drops, Ben Roethlisberger didn鈥檛 shy away from throwing Coates鈥� way again. Coates was tied for the team lead with 11 targets, six of them coming in the second half.
鈥淚 loved to let him know that my confidence isn鈥檛 going to waver in him if he has a couple of drops,鈥� Roethlisberger said.
Markus Wheaton could relate to Coates鈥� day. The fourth-year pro had three drops, including what should have been a touchdown early in the Steelers鈥� lopsided Week 3 loss at Philadelphia.
Last week, Wheaton bounced back with a two-point conversion grab and a touchdown reception.
鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating, it鈥檚 frustrating,鈥� Wheaton said. 鈥淵ou work too hard to go out and perform like that, but (Coates) bounced back. He鈥檚 a good player. All good payers bounce back. He鈥檒l be good.鈥�
It鈥檚 become trendy on social media to pose the question 鈥淢artavis who?鈥� after every one of Coates鈥� receptions 鈥� he has five straight games of at least one reception of 40-plus and leads the NFL at 22.2 yard per reception 鈥� but he鈥檚 not at Bryant鈥檚 level yet.
If he鈥檚 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: 鈥淎 lot.鈥�
鈥淚 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鈥檚 part of my game,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 supposed to do that.鈥�