Sometimes all it takes is one play to turn the tide of a game. For the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, that play was Darnell Washington’s 20-yard stiff-arm and hurdle play. When a 6-7, 264-pound tight end best known for his blocking abilities goes airborne over a defender, how can it not provide some momentum for the unit?
Justin Fields was asked after Thursday’s practice if there was a moment in the game where they knew the offense was finally locking in.
“I think Darnell’s play kind of gave us some juice a little bit when he stiff-armed the guy and jumped over him,” Fields said in a video on the Steelers’ website. “I think that got us rolling a little bit for sure.”
Here is the play that Fields is referencing. For a guy many wrote off as just a blocking tight end, he sure showed off some high-end athleticism.
A player of Washington’s size is going to be difficult for any defender to tackle one-on-one in the open field. He can use his length and strength to bury defenders into the turf, and he certainly has enough speed and athleticism to make them miss in other ways. He ran an insane 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
Washington was used almost exclusively as an extra blocker in his rookie season with just seven receptions on 10 targets for 61 yards. Through four games this season, he already has four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. That 20-yard play against the Colts was the longest gain of his career.
On the touchdown Washington had against the Denver Broncos in Week 2, the Steelers lined him up as a wide receiver to create a mismatch and threw a fade to him in the end zone. Those two plays show the type of mismatch he can be in the Steelers’ offense.
Washington spoke about emphasizing route running during his offseason training as he sought to get more involved in the passing game. Those efforts have been paying off through the first four weeks.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith recently told the media that the sky’s the limit for Darnell Washington, specifically highlighting the mismatch potential that he presents with his size and athleticism. It is exciting to see him getting more involved in the offense.
The Steelers run a ton of 12 and 13 personnel with multiple tight ends on the field. Their ability to do a variety of things out of those sets, including getting guys like Washington and MyCole Pruitt (when healthy) involved in the passing game, will open up the offense a lot.
