Anyone trying to bring up tight end production stats to Mike Tomlin can shove it. As long as the Pittsburgh Steelers keep winning, Tomlin isn’t worried that rookie TE Darnell Washington only has one catch. Or that Pat Freiermuth only had eight grabs before getting hurt. The only number that matters is what’s in the win column of the Steelers’ record.
During his Tuesday press conference, Tomlin was asked about the low numbers for his tight end group.
“I know we’re excited about having Diontae [Johnson] back,” he told reporters via the team’s YouTube channel. “I make no excuse for their lack of inclusion. We’re doing what’s required to win football games.”
On the season, Steelers tight ends have combined for just 16 receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Freiermuth will have the worst season of his first three, largely in part due to a pesky hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve, but his production was quiet through the first three games of the season even with Johnson sidelined because of his own hamstring problem. This down season will cost him the chance at an offseason payday in a hot tight end market.
Washington has played a ton of snaps but functioned as a sixth offensive lineman with a heavy blocking focus. His only reception came on play-action in Week Four against Houston, catching a short pass in the left flat and turning upfield for 10 yards and a first down. There’s also Connor Heyward, on pace to have similar production to his rookie year despite being on pace to more than double his first-year snap count.
The last time Pittsburgh’s tight end production was this meager was 2004 when the position basically didn’t exist in the passing game. Their “leaders” at the position were Jerame Tuman and his nine receptions for 89 yards, though he did snag three touchdowns. Jay Riemersma was runner-up with seven grabs while Matt Cushing chipped in one catch for 17 yards. Let’s just say you don’t see too many people talking about Matt Cushing these days. It led to the team drafting Heath Miller in 2005, and he anchored the position for the next decade.
At some point, the Steelers’ tight ends figure to get involved. More red zone opportunities for the offense will increase those odds. Coming into the Rams game, the Steelers had run just 21 plays in the red zone all season but had seven in Los Angeles, though they did their damage on the ground. Washington’s size makes him most effective down near the goal line and the play-action/boot game can be effective done there, as it was on this nice design from OC Matt Canada to set up a rushing score.
Once Freiermuth is fully recovered, he’ll be able to contribute to some extent. Though it’s not their thought right now, the Steelers’ passing game can’t run just through George Pickens and Diontae Johnson. Others will need to be involved. The tight ends will make their plays. At some point. But so long as the team is winning, Tomlin isn’t losing sleep over it.
