Jan 26, 2024 5 min read

By Dale Lolley

For the Observer-Reporter

As Mike Tomlin continues his search for a new offensive coordinator, one of his secondary concerns – beyond who can bring out the most in the team’s quarterbacks – should be who can best utilize the team’s tight ends.

Between Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward, the Steelers had 62 receptions for 536 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.

That’s not even remotely good enough.

The Steelers spent a second-round draft pick on Freiermuth in 2021. They used a third-round pick on Washington in last spring’s draft. Heyward was a sixth-round pick in 2022.

That’s some serious draft capital to use on a position and not utilize the group.

And if you take Freiermuth’s 9-catch, 120-yard game against the Bengals in Cincinnati out of the equation, the numbers look even worse.

Why does this matter?

Take a look at the four teams playing in the conference championships this weekend. Detroit, Baltimore, San Francisco and Kansas City all use their tight ends as key pieces in their passing games.

Tight ends are like the queens on the chess board. They can do a little bit of everything – if you utilize them correctly.

Freiermuth, in particular, was way underutilized this season. Though he missed five games with a hamstring injury, his 32 receptions were half what he had done in each of his first two seasons.

Freiermuth and former Philadelphia Eagles star Keith Jackson are the only tight ends in NFL history to have 60 or more receptions in each of their first two seasons.

To not utilize Freiermuth more as a matchup problem for defenses seems silly. And, as he showed against the Bengals, he was certainly capable.

• Not only is Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt a finalist for the Associated Press NFL Player of the Year Award, but cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is a finalist for NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Year.

This seems like a good time to remind everyone that the Steelers got Porter in connection with Tom Brady.

How so?

The Miami Dolphins were docked their 2023 first-round pick for tampering with Brady while he was still a member of another team, knocking the first round of last year’s draft from 32 to 31 picks.

In the meantime, Steelers general manager Omar Khan dealt wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Bears at the trade deadline for Chicago’s second-round pick. The Bears finished with the league’s worst record, which made that the first pick of the second round.

The Steelers were tempted to take Porter with the 17th pick in last year’s draft and would have done so if offensive tackle Broderick Jones wasn’t available. Instead, they moved up in the first round and selected Jones.

Then, Porter fell to the 32nd pick in the draft and they got him, too.

Claypool, meanwhile, caught 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in 10 games for the Bears before being traded to, of all places, Miami at this season’s trade deadline for a seventh-round pick.

So, for the honor of trying to talk Brady into joining the Dolphins, Miami traded first and seventh-round draft picks for Claypool. The Bears got a seventh-round pick. And the Steelers got Porter.

Seems pretty fair.

• Players, coaches and fans at Duke got upset with Pitt’s Blake Hinson for jumping up on the scorer’s table and celebrating in front of the student section after the Panthers’ win over the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Arena last week.

The “Cameron Crazies” are well-known as one of the most raucous student sections in college basketball. They can certainly dish it out.

If you’re going to dish it out, you’d better believe opposing players are going to notice.

And when you dish the trash talk out, you’d better be able to take it in return.

If the Duke players and coaches don’t like that, they could have done something about it – such as not losing the game.

This week’s games

Chiefs (plus 3½) at Ravens: Two of the NFL’s best defenses in terms of points allowed meet up in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson will win the MVP award this season, but it’s folly to go against Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, as we learned the hard way here last week. He just doesn’t make mistakes in the postseason. Take the Chiefs, 23-20.

Lions (plus 7) at 49ers: If Deebo Samuel doesn’t play in this game because of the shoulder injury he suffered last week, it’s a big deal. San Francisco’s offense is great – when it has all of its stars. When it doesn’t, it’s not quite the same. And Brock Purdy was bad in the rain last week. Could Detroit be a team of destiny? Perhaps. The Lions’ offensive line should do a good job against San Francisco’s front. Take the Lions to cover in a 30-24 loss.

Last week: 1-3 ATS; 3-1 straight up

Overall: 57-39-3 ATS; 65-34 straight up

Dale Lolley hosts The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.