Steelers' Chase Claypool expected 'smaller role' before breakout game vs. Eagles

Claypool didn't think he was going to play much before scoring four touchdowns against Philadelphia

Chase Claypool etched himself into Pittsburgh Steelers lore -- entering the conversation with the likes of Franco Harris -- after a breakout performance in Week 5. Claypool finished with four touchdowns in Pittsburgh's 38-29 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, becoming the first Steelers rookie since Harris in 1972 to have a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same game. 

Claypool had a solid start to his NFL career heading into the Keystone State battle (six catches, 151 yards, touchdown in three games), but Sunday was his breakout performance. He finished with seven catches for 110 yards and four touchdowns -- three receiving, one rushing -- in the victory, becoming the first rookie in Steelers history with four touchdowns in a game and the first rookie to record four touchdowns in a game since Jerry Butler in 1979. 

The standout show from Claypool almost didn't enter production, as the only reason the rookie wideout played 69% of the snaps was on account of Diontae Johnson exiting the game with a back injury. 

"I thought I was going have a smaller role for the game," Claypool said after the victory, via Pro Football Talk. "But when [Diontae] went down I knew I had to step up for the time being and luckily I was able to do that."

Claypool didn't receive more than four targets in his first three games, but he was targeted 11 times in Sunday's win. Ben Roethlisberger went to Claypool on a pivotal third-and-4 midway through the first quarter -- resulting in a 7-yard completion -- and looked his way the remainder of the afternoon. Roethlisberger completed all 13 of his passes on third down in the win, four of which went to Claypool that resulted in 89 yards and two touchdowns -- both of which were over 30 yards. 

"He's talented. He has got some God given abilities that not many people in this world have," Roethlisberger said. "He's big, fast, and strong, and he's very, very smart... He works. He works hard. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I've said this numerous times. If he does make a mistake, he won't make the same one twice, and I think that says a lot about a young guy. 

"We were texting on, I think, Friday as I was looking at film and sending him clips and talking about it with him through text, and I forget if he said it or I said it, but we were talking about a specific play, and I just told him, hey, you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to have a big game. I'm glad it came to fruition."