Tim Benz: Small details about Pat Freiermuth’s play could have a big impact on Steelers offense

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The big picture on Pat Freiermuth is that the Steelers are hoping he will be a close range response for years to come.

The measurables of Freiermuth are impressive. He is 6 feet 5 inches tall and 251 pounds with 9 7/8 inch hands. And with a 4.72-40 yard dash, he’s pretty quick for a tight end of this size.

But it was the details of his game that could see the Penn State rookie take root in offense in the first week of his first season.

Following Freiermuth’s two touchdowns in a 26-20 preseason win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night, the Massachusetts native rocked Steelers Nation.

Beyond the highlights, however, it’s Freiermuth’s polish that catches the attention of his teammates.

Especially in the red zone.

“In practice, probably three or four times he’s (on the) baseline and he hasn’t set foot. He did, which is good in college, but not good in the NFL. “said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Saturday night. “He had one last week, where he didn’t keep both. But on landing he kept both, and you can tell he’s working on his craft.”

Freiermuth says the shade of crowded football in the red zone matches his coaching personality.

“There are so many details out there, and I’m sure he’s a detail-oriented guy,” Freiermuth said. “Maybe a person who’s great in the open field lacks detail there because the pitch is smaller. I understand the coverage better there and I understand what I need to do to open and score touchdowns. . “

Nothing about this performance under the playing time lights comes as a surprise to head coach Mike Tomlin.

“I don’t think he showed us anything different than what he showed us throughout every component of this process, even going back to the minicamp,” said Tomlin. “You know, he made a very similar play in the red zone work in the minicamp, so I don’t think any of us are surprised by what he was able to do tonight.”

Roethlisberger isn’t the only Steelers quarterback to quickly pick up on some finer points of Freiermuth’s play. Mason Rudolph says that something specific about the Freiermuth road race is helping the guys with the throws.

“He’s quickly turning his head off the road,” says Rudolph. “He’s not a beginner. Looks like he’s got some experience. Looks like he’s older than he really is. There was a stretch in those first six or seven workouts where he never dropped a single ball. And there were bullets outside its radius.

According to Freiermuth, this characteristic of locating the quarterback quickly is something he has done well for a while.

“I’ve always been good on the downhills, getting out of my breaks and getting in touch with the quarterback,” said Freiermuth. “It’s something I’ve always worked on. Just be a little bit of that quarterback safety blanket. Something I’m proud of. Have your head around and play games like that.

Rudolph says the smooth edges of Freiermuth’s performance aren’t limited to his physical play. This is also noticeable in his mental game and his emotional approach.

“It’s relatively calm there,” Rudolph continued. “He doesn’t have that wide-eyed stag look in the headlights. I think he’s going to be a good player.

It’s safe to say he already is. The bigger question may be, can he squeeze Eric Ebron for the starting position?

For now, Tomlin will likely be happy to have solid depth in a tight end position and the ability to work more often from two tight end sets with two guys who can open up and make plays. That is compared to a depth chart featuring Vance McDonald, who found himself in a more blocking role than anything else in the later stages of his career before he retired in the offseason.

Depth and versatility weren’t a highlight of the Steelers offense a year ago. If his blocking – which isn’t too shabby for a rookie – catches up with his course and his hands, Freiermuth appears to be a potential element as to how that might change in 2021.

Tim Benz is an editor for Tribune-Review. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication, unless otherwise specified.



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