Pat Freiermuth found the end zone twice in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, snatching five of his seven targets for 44 yards and even adding a yard on his lone rush attempt. That’s a serious day at the office for the tight end, and it definitely caught some attention.
Seven Targets, Two Scores: How Pittsburgh’s Hand Was Forced
What’s wild about Freiermuth’s monster performance is how it all went down. Pittsburgh’s offense had their hand forced, pushing them to use 12 personnel way more often. Why? Because Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek both got knocked out of the game. Suddenly, Freiermuth became a massive part of the game plan, probably way more than he or anyone else bargained for. It’s an encouraging sign that he hauled in a season-high seven targets. When those guys went down, he stepped up.
Viable Streamer or Must-Start? Tampa Bay Up Next
Now, is it time to crown him a must-start every single week? Not quite yet. The source notes it would be a bit premature to move him into that territory, especially if Pittsburgh is still short on receivers. However, Freiermuth is absolutely a viable streamer for Week 6. He’s got a juicy matchup coming up against a Tampa Bay defense that’s already coughed up three touchdowns to tight ends this season.
So, what does that mean for next week? All eyes will be on Freiermuth to see if he can keep that momentum going against Tampa Bay. Can he continue to be a bigger part of the offense, or was Week 5 just a flash when the Steelers were in a bind?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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