2 Steelers Starters Were Benched For Better Scheme Fit In Week 4

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to triumph in Week 4 with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. Now, they enter the bye week with complete control of the AFC North, even though it seemed to be well out of reach prior to the season starting. With the players taking a much-needed break, the coaching staff can come up with certain adjustments to make sure Pittsburgh does not let go of this stranglehold like they did in 2024. This year is supposed to be different, and they need to prove it with the tough slate of games coming up. 

One of these changes may have already happened starting in that Week 4 game across the pond. Tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith are listed as co-starters on the depth chart, but as Brian Batko notes on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they lost valuable reps to the other tight ends on the roster. 

"Jonnu Smith had just two catches for 6 yards Sunday while fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth wasn’t targeted," Batko noted. "Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward played more snaps than both as the Steelers tried to establish their running game."

The Steelers ran 26 designed run plays, as opposed to 25 designed pass plays. Freiermuth and Smith have never been seen as high-end run blockers, and it seems like the Steelers finally accepted that and left them off the field whenever they tried to establish the ground game. If you're going to be in an offense that does not pass the ball very often, you have to be able to block to help your team out. 

Darnell Washington has always been the primary run blocker for the Steelers, especially since he is built like an offensive tackle. During the game, commentator Greg Olsen spoke about how there is no way his listed weight is accurate.

"If [Darnell Washington] is 264 [pounds], I'm 220," Olsen said. "And there's no way I'm 220."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Connor Heyward is seen as severely undersized for his position, but the Steelers clearly trust him more than the other two starters to help open up a lane for the running back, as he even saw a nice increase in snaps. He even got the opportunity to run a tight end sneak for a first down with Freiermuth and Washington pushing him forward.

Because of the increase in snaps in the run game, Washington can also stay on the field for passing situations to make the opposing defense think the Steelers are keeping it on the ground. That allowed for him to have his first three receptions of the season, including one where four defenders hit him before they were able to nudge him out of bounds. Washington had just one two-point conversion catch in the end zone in Week 2 prior to Sunday's matchup.

Steelers' New Personnel Grouping Worked

Of course, the most important part about all this is the run game itself. In the first three weeks, the leading running back was Jaylen Warren with 48 yards in the Steelers' Week 2 loss. However, he got injured in practice and had to miss Week 4. With Kenneth Gainwell running behind Washington and Heyward, he had a career day with 19 carries, 99 yards, and two very key touchdowns. 

They say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Yes, Freiermuth recently received a nice extension, and Smith was acquired via trade, but if keeping them on the bench means the offense has a better chance of thriving, then they should get nice and comfortable on that seat. The blocking ability of Washington and Heyward has unlocked a completely new gear for the Steelers.

With the recent injury to Calvin Austin III, Smith might see more snaps as a wide receiver until Austin returns. Meanwhile, fans have already started speculating that Freiermuth could be a trade candidate due to his potential and his lack of usage. He is still a good receiving tight end, but his skill set clearly does not mesh well with what Pittsburgh wants to do offensively.

What do you think about Freiermuth and Smith getting benched in Week 4 for Washington and Heyward? Will that trend continue? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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