PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared on SteelersNOW.com.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has had a quiet start to the season, catching only seven passes for 65 yards and zero touchdowns. Freiermuth’s slow start is partially due to personnel decisions. He played only 15 snaps against the Vikings.
Instead of using Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith in the Week 4 win over Minnesota, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith turned the dial all the way up with massive tight end Darnell Washington and extra offensive lineman Spencer Anderson instead. Freiermuth played only 15 snaps.
“We have a certain personality, particularly when we play 4-3 teams,” Mike Tomlin explained on Tuesday when asked about the Steelers’ heavy package against Minnesota. “I haven’t been bashful about that. That’s why we drafted Darnell Washington. You can’t play 4-3 teams with 250-pound tight ends. There are weight classes in combat sports for a reason. When the edge people are 300 pounds, you better have somebody out there that looks like that animal.
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