Player: TE Pat Freiermuth
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Pat Freiermuth is coming off his biggest game as a pass catcher of the season. Against the Bengals, he caught the most passes for the most yards in any game of the year. For the second time since the bye week, he also found the end zone. The question is whether his production will be sustainable beyond one game.
In the Steelers’ last game, TE Pat Freiermuth set season highs in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. On seven targets, he caught six passes for 68 yards and one score. But is that an indication of increased usage or simply another game against the Cincinnati Bengals?
Historically, Freiermuth smokes the Bengals, especially in Cincinnati. In four career road games against the Bengals, he has 24 catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns. In seven games all told, Freiermuth has 35 catches for 404 yards and four touchdowns.
If Pat Freiermuth were to play the Bengals in Cincinnati every game, he would have a 102-catch, 1,288-yard, 13-touchdown season. In other words, he would be Travis Kelce. But why doesn’t he put up these numbers against other teams, at least with consistency?
Well, apparently the Bengals are really bad at adjusting their game plans. They keep letting the Steelers feed Freiermuth underneath. Perhaps they allow that as an offset against risking George Pickens beating them on the outside. But after the recent Steelers-Bengals game in Cincinnati, it doesn’t work, does it?
The Steelers signed Pat Freiermuth to a lucrative contract extension this offseason. As a result, most anticipated a healthy increase in his numbers. While there are some modest gains, we haven’t seen any leaps and bounds.
Through 12 games, Freiermuth has 41 catches for 422 yards and four touchdowns. If he keeps the pace, he will finish the season with 58 catches for 598 yards and six touchdowns. But there is so much opportunity for more that it would be a shame if they don’t pick up the pace. Over his last two games, he has 10 catches for 127 yards, so perhaps there is some hope.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
