Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster wrote an apologetic message on social media Monday, one day after his fumble ended the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final offensive possession in a 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
“When I’m at my lowest, I’m not going to hide,” Smith-Schuster wrote on Twitter. “I’m sorry. That loss was on me. I let everyone down, it won’t happen again.”
Smith-Schuster recorded a strong performance prior to putting the ball on the turf, collecting 11 receptions for 115 yards.
With the Steelers (8-5-1) trailing by three points, the 22-year-old Smith-Schuster fumbled the ball as he was being brought down by Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins at New Orleans’ 42-yard line with 41 seconds remaining. Saints linebacker Demario Davis recovered the loose ball to seal the win.
“(Smith-Schuster) has been great all year,” Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown said. “He is the reason we are (productive). In those situations, you just want to support him. It is kind of unfortunate, but he is a great player. We have all been through it before and it is something to learn from.”
The loss dropped the Steelers behind the first-place Baltimore Ravens (9-6-0) in the AFC North. Pittsburgh hosts the Cincinnati Bengals (6-9) on Sunday while the Cleveland Browns (7-7-1) visit Baltimore. Both games are slated to begin at 4:25 p.m. ET.
After a solid rookie campaign in which he posted 58 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns, Smith-Schuster has been an explosive weapon opposite Brown this season.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Smith-Schuster leads the Steelers in both catches (106) and receiving yards (1,389) to go along with six scoring passes. He has eight 100-yard games on the season, including four in the past six contests.
