Even with yet another Pat Freiermuth touchdown, the Steelers scored a season-low 13 points on Sunday. While they also scored 13 points in Week 2, they only allowed six. Against the Eagles, they allowed 27 points, their first “blowout” loss of the year.
Despite the outcome, Freiermuth remains confident in what the Steelers are doing offensively. Not only that, he still believes in what they wanted to do, and what they tried to do, in Philadelphia.
“We definitely shot ourselves in the foot way too many times during the game. It was just kind of popcorn with different guys not executing what we were supposed to”, Pat Freiermuth told Gerry Dulac on Chalk Talk on 102.5 WDVE. “I thought the game plan was good going in. I still thought it was a good plan. It was just different situations where we needed an extra block a little longer so we could spring a big run or maybe run a route a different depth”.
The Steelers hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator this offseason, and he has made a difference. While he hasn’t been the only major change, they do have a top-10 scoring offense. While they only rank 18th in total yards, they have shown the ability to explode. And now more than ever, Freiermuth personally is thriving.
Over the past four games, Freiermuth has 16 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He has a touchdown in each of the past three games, the first three-game stretch for a Steelers tight end since Heath Miller. In his first season since his big extension with the Steelers, he has 47 catches for 492 yards and six touchdowns.
Though he did score, Freiermuth still only caught three passes for 22 yards on Sunday. That is a concern because they were without WR George Pickens, their biggest receiving threat. Without Pickens, Freiermuth is the best receiving option they have.
The Steelers did target Freiermuth six times in the game, one off his season high. He had one drop, which was only his second of the season, Freiermuth posting an exceptional 83.9-percent catch rate. Additionally, the Steelers are averaging a successful play on nearly two-thirds of his targets.
With that said, the Steelers have to get back on track in a hurry. They have to figure out why whatever didn’t work against Philadelphia didn’t work and make sure they don’t repeat it. The run game in particular was a slog, and as Freiermuth mentioned, they repeatedly hurt themselves.
The Steelers didn’t even manage a first down until about halfway through the second quarter. That is the drive that ended with the Pat Freiermuth touchdown, their only touchdown of the day. And it was by far their most successful drive, the only one that produced at least 40 net yards. And even that included 15 penalty yards. So if the Steelers really had a good plan in that game, then they really bollocksed it up.
