The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was the star of the team’s Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts. That unit had its best game of the season. However, it didn’t put points on the board. The Steelers’ offense also deserves credit for not wasting the opportunities the defense provided. While it wasn’t an explosive day offensively, the Steelers did enough right to win. Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long believes Darnell Washington was key to the Steelers’ offensive success.
“I think they found something yesterday with getting [Darnell] Washington the ball,” Long said Monday on his Green Light podcast. “It’s kind of crazy because he could be wearing a fucking tackle number. But if he can catch the football, you can put that ball anywhere near his body, and he’s gonna just be putting it on dude’s heads. He’s such a mismatch.”
Washington has been a huge part of the Steelers’ offensive success. However, most of his contributions have come as a blocker. The Steelers’ offense started to find a rhythm once they implemented their jumbo package with Washington and Spencer Anderson on the field.
That doesn’t mean Washington hasn’t been impactful as a receiver, though. That was an area he’s been working on since he entered the league in 2023. He showed progress last year, and now, it looks like he’s taken another step forward.
Washington had four catches for 43 yards against the Colts. He was the Steelers’ second leading receiver in that matchup. Also, Washington was tied for the lead in targets with six. It marks Washington’s fourth multi-catch game of the season. The Steelers won three of those four games. While Washington has only 13 catches, 127 yards, and one touchdown this year, he’s been a valuable weapon in the pass game.
However, it’s also clear that Washington still has work to do as a pass catcher. He wasn’t perfect against the Colts. Specifically, he had a rough play to end the Steelers’ first trip into the red zone in Week 9. The Steelers had excellent field position after recovering a muffed punt. Aaron Rodgers threw a perfect pass to Washington on 4th and 3 at the Colts’ four-yard line, but the tight end couldn’t haul it in.
That’s a play that Washington needs to make. He didn’t look ready for the pass, which led to the Steelers squandering a prime opportunity early in the game. Luckily, their defense stepped up, giving them more opportunities.
That mistake didn’t cause Rodgers to lose any trust in Washington, either. He went back to him several times after that. Postgame, Rodgers had nothing but good things to say about Washington, too. The big tight end seems like he’s quickly becoming one of the veteran quarterback’s favorite targets.
That could mean he’ll continue getting more involved in the pass game. We’ll see if that translates to offensive success, like Long believes it will.
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