The Pittsburgh Steelers are rediscovering their offensive stride, and a significant portion of that success is coming from inside the 20-yard line. After entering Week 5 near the bottom of the league in red zone efficiency, Pittsburgh put together a red zone performance against the Indianapolis Colts, powered by tight end Pat Freiermuth.
According to Steelers beat reporter Christopher Carter on his “Locked on Steelers” podcast, Freiermuth hauled in five catches for 44 yards and two touchdowns on the day, bringing his season tally to four red zone touchdown receptions. That total ties him with Amon-Ra St. Brown for the second-most red zone receiving touchdowns in the NFL, trailing only Jackson Smith-Njigba.
The sudden surge isn't accidental; it’s
a deliberate tactical shift by head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers to exploit heavy personnel matchups. By deploying 13 personnel, spreading out Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and MyCole Pruitt alongside running back Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh forces opposing defenses into nightmare coverage assignments.
"When we talked to Aaron Rogers about it, he said, 'I love the mismatch,'" Carter explained.
When defenses counter heavy packages with linebackers, Rodgers quickly isolates his target in space. On Freiermuth's first touchdown, Colts linebacker C.J. Davis was left stranded in single coverage, giving Rodgers an easy, uncontested throw.
Beyond the passing attack, the tandem’s physical presence on the line of scrimmage creates a cascading effect for the ground game. Offensive tackle Troy Fautanu noted that having both tight ends blocking on the edge relieves immense pressure from the offensive line.
Inside the locker room, confidence in the unit is soaring.
"I think selfishly me and Darn are the best tight end duel in the NFL," Freiermuth said following the win. "And anytime we can go out there and utilize our skill sets to the best of our abilities, I think we have a pretty good chance to win the game on offense."
As the Steelers prepare for the middle stretch of their schedule, sustaining this heavy-personnel identity will be vital. If Rodgers and McCarthy continue leaning into these tight end mismatches, Pittsburgh's once-sluggish red zone attack could become one of the most lethal situational weapons in the league.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: How Pat Freiermuth became Aaron Rodgers' favorite red zone weapon
