Without Calvin Austin III on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers really just had DK Metcalf and their tight ends to work with against the Cincinnati Bengals. And for the most part, that worked. The tight ends had some massive performances Thursday and nearly helped the Steelers claw out a come-from-behind win. Speaking after the game, Aaron Rodgers was appreciative of them, specifically Darnell Washington.
“Darnell’s such an important part of our offense,” Rodgers said via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “As you’ve seen us start to take some steps offensively the past three weeks, it’s no surprise his snap count’s gone up. I’m really proud of Darnell.”
Washington had a career game last week with 62 receiving yards. He had three catches again on Thursday, but a loss on a blown-up screen hurt his total, as he finished with just two yards. Those two were vital, though, coming on this touchdown where he managed to sneak past the line of scrimmage.
He’s not blowing up the stat sheet, but Washington is clearly a player Rodgers is starting to trust more. He’s making the catches when he needs to, and as Rodgers notes, is a massive help in the run game. He helped create holes throughout the game for a rushing attack that hit 147 yards.
He wasn’t the only one to make an impact, though. Jonnu Smith did as well, hauling in three receptions for 28 yards, and he scored the first touchdown of the game.
However, Pat Freiermuth stole the show at the position. He didn’t start coming on until later in the game, but when he did, he made a huge difference. Rodgers is happy Freiermuth was finally able to start to emerge Thursday.
“Pat’s a great player, and he hasn’t really had a lot of looks,” Rodgers said. “His play time has gone down. But his attitude hasn’t. And I think there’s a lot to be said about the professionalism he showed, especially the last couple of weeks.”
Freiermuth’s seen his name in the headlines, but it’s not because of anything on the field. In fact, it’s been the opposite. He was the TE3 for the first several weeks of the season and had just 76 yards on the year coming into the day. It’s safe to say he blew up for the first time in Cincinnati. Five receptions, 111 yards and two touchdowns later, he had a statement game.
Freiermuth caught a beautiful throw over the middle for his first score and had this catch-and-run to help give the Steelers the lead late.
The loss hurts, especially given the complications in the division. But the Steelers’ tight end unit showed out in a huge way Thursday. From Washington to Smith and Freiermuth, it’s a group that seems to get better each week.
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