by Bo Marchionte
Twitter @BoMarchionte

Pittsburgh’s offensive scheme this season has been filled with new faces contributing each week. After the Steelers 38-29 win over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday Coach Tomlin mentioned as much by saying that about his receiving unit.

“That’s the strength of having a deep group of guys that are capable of making plays,” Tomlin said. “Week in and week out, there are going to be different guys that step up just based on the matchups presented.”

JuJu Smith Schuster, Diontae Johnson, James Washington and rookie Chase Claypool offer plenty of options for Ben Roethlisberger to choose from when distributing the football.

Against the Eagles, it was newcomer Ray-Ray McCloud who signed with the Steelers in late August (21st of this year). The former sixth round selection back in 2018 out of Clemson began his career with Buffalo before a stop with the Carolina Panthers, another off-season back with the Bills before reaching his destination in Pittsburgh.

“I was at church a number kept calling me,” McCloud said when the Steelers first began trying to reach out to the versatile receiver. “As soon as I left church I had to be on the plane.”

Seeing No. 14 make his first Steelers start against the Eagles, was definitely an eye opener, but like Tomlin said the depth and ability of this group is going to make them hard to diagnose for opposing defensive coordinators. The focus could shift to Smith-Schuster or Johnson one week, then Washington and Claypool the next. Still leaving McCloud as a option in all facets of the offensive game plan.

He led the Steelers in all-purpose yardage (123) against Philly with 63 rushing, 12 receiving and 48 on kickoff returns. That was his calling card to the National Football League leaving Clemson early with hopes to have an NFL career.

Gadget plays are his specialty and over the years the Steelers have shown they are not afraid of those type of players having a significant impact on their offense. Kordell “Slash” Stewart and Antwan Randle El are perfect examples of utilizing players with expanded athletic ability.

That is the hallmark of McCloud’s game – versatility.

Leaving Sickles High School in Tampa, Florida he set county records with 5,765 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns, yet arrived at Clemson to play receiver, showing not only his athleticism but high football IQ.

Sunday, the Eagles got a taste of what is to come as Pittsburgh learns more about a player that has not even been on the roster for two full months. That is not to say the Steelers scouting department were not eyeing him from afar and waiting for the right moment to make their move. McCloud’s moment came to fruition this past weekend as a key component to the game plan.

“All week Coach Randy (Fichtner), Issac (“Ike” Hillard) and Coach Tomlin said be ready,” McCloud said. “All week we practiced certain plays some we got to and some we didn’t get to. Whenever I got my opportunity, I made an advantage out of it.”

McCloud mentioned several times during the Zoom call that he was just able to be himself in Pittsburgh and that was something that was not the case with the previous teams (three) he was with before signing with the Steelers.

“Be Ray-Ray,” McCloud said. “Don’t be Ray.”

The Ray-Ray version is what the Steelers are working with, identifying early in his Steelers career that he can help create awkward moments for defenses due to the vast amount of options on offense. His freshman year at Clemson he caught eight passes in his first game, a Tigers school record. He possesses those Swiss Army knife skills that make him a dangerous weapon when surrounded by the talent Pittsburgh has with their current receiver group.

“When I got here, they took me in as family,” McCloud said wearing a gray Steelers hoodie and black Pittsburgh baseball cap. “That’s what you feel here in this locker room. It feels like college, that where together all the time. It is like a family thing here. Coach Tomlin makes it like that. When you love your coach, you go all out for him and go all out for yourself.”

“The strength of our pack is the pack,” Tomlin said after referencing the career day of rookie Chase Claypool who had four touchdowns.

“I’m blessed enough to be in a circumstance were we have that we have that continuity in the midst of it,” Tomlin said. “It sort of allows us to circle the wagons around a young man with some talent like Ray-Ray (McCloud) that’s probably looking for a fresh start and put him in an environment where his talents can come to the stage. So, its our job to create that environment. It’s Ray-Ray’s job to come to work everyday and get better with in it. That’s how we all collectively eat together.”

McCloud is just the cherry on top of the ice cream Sunday loaded with all kinds of goodies. To many delightful treats that help make up Pittsburgh receiving core that used to be sort of one-dimensional with Antonio Brown.

Shows that having a lone wolf may not be as good as having a pack of wolves.