Steelers' Rare Offensive Advantage Has Bengals' Zac Taylor On Alert Before AFC North Clash

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent two weeks searching for an offensive identity, which makes Cincinnati’s scouting report a little unusual. Pittsburgh has scored one offensive touchdown and is coming off a three-point afternoon, yet one part of the roster still forces a defense to prepare for possibilities the Steelers have barely begun to exploit. The production has not arrived yet. The personnel problem sitting underneath it is much harder to ignore.

Zac Taylor sees Pittsburgh’s unusual size at receiver and tight end as a legitimate challenge for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers can deploy DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. outside while Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington work inside, giving Pittsburgh four pass-catchers who range from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-7.

During a recent press conference, Taylor detailed why each presents a different problem.

“They’re very talented, and Pittman as well,” Taylor said. “We don’t know what his status is, but he’s a big receiver as well. So they’ve got a lot of talent… Freiermuth does a good job getting down the field, making big plays. Darnell catches the ball underneath and makes you pay for it underneath as well, so he’s hard to bring down. He’s really good in the run game as well. He’s got good hands. And then obviously DK’s one of the top receivers in the league. Very physical… Pittman’s obviously had a tremendous career as well… really good hands, good awareness, really smart receiver.” 

It is almost a basketball lineup disguised as a passing formation. Metcalf is 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. Pittman stands 6-foot-4 and 223. Freiermuth checks in at 6-foot-5 and 258, while Washington is an absurd 6-foot-7, 264-pound target who can spend one snap moving a defender in the running game and the next forcing a defensive back to tackle him underneath. The strange part is how little Pittsburgh has squeezed from that advantage.

Metcalf has eight receptions for only 67 yards through two games. Washington has three catches for 25 yards. Freiermuth has been the steadiest member of the group with nine receptions for 78 yards and Pittsburgh’s only offensive touchdown, while Pittman caught all three of his Week 1 targets for 58 yards before missing the loss to New England with a foot injury.

Pittman’s availability remains worth monitoring. He was limited Wednesday after sitting out Week 2, and Head Coach Mike McCarthy said earlier in the week that he did not yet have a feel for whether the veteran would return against Cincinnati. Even without him, Pittsburgh still possesses an unusually large collection of receiving options.

The matchup makes Taylor’s comments more than ordinary opponent praise. Cincinnati has been especially vulnerable to tight ends through two weeks, allowing an NFL-high 100 receiving yards and 6.5 receptions per game to the position. One tight end alone caught 12 passes for 140 yards against the Bengals in Week 2.

That should put Freiermuth and Washington near the front of Pittsburgh’s Week 3 discussion.

Aaron Rodgers has already made clear that he wants Freiermuth more involved, and the numbers support the idea. Freiermuth has caught nine of his first 10 targets this season. Washington offers a different problem because his blocking forces defenses to respect him near the formation before he ever releases into a route.

That is where Pittsburgh can make its size matter beyond simply throwing jump balls. Twelve personnel can force Cincinnati to decide whether it wants bigger defenders on the field to handle Washington and Freiermuth as blockers. If the Bengals answer with heavier personnel, Pittsburgh can spread the same tight ends out and test linebackers or safeties in coverage. Substitute defensive backs, and Washington suddenly becomes a 264-pound reason to reconsider how much fun tackling is.

Metcalf and Pittman, if healthy, compound the issue outside. Both can use their frames against press coverage, block on the perimeter and challenge smaller corners at the catch point. Pittsburgh does not have to become an offense based entirely around size. It simply has to make Cincinnati account for it.

Steelers Need To Turn Their Size Into An Actual Advantage

Taylor has identified something Pittsburgh itself has not consistently demonstrated. On paper, the Steelers can put four oversized pass-catchers on the field without creating an obvious personnel tell. Washington can block like an extra offensive lineman. Freiermuth can work vertically or find space underneath. Metcalf supplies the physical outside threat, while Pittman gives Rodgers an experienced receiver who understands leverage and consistently catches the football.

The possibilities have sounded good since the offseason. September is when they have to become more than a diagram.

Cincinnati presents an obvious opportunity because tight ends have already hurt its defense, and Pittsburgh desperately needs answers after scoring three points in Foxborough. Freiermuth out-snapped Washington 46-37 last week and ran 15 more routes, so the Steelers are already comfortable putting both on the field. Finding more receiving production from those formations is the next step.

Pittsburgh does not need all four players to post huge numbers Sunday. The advantage comes from making the Bengals decide which type of mismatch they are willing to accept. Taylor has already noticed the size before kickoff. The Steelers now have to make sure Cincinnati still notices it after the game starts.

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