Ben Roethlisberger is off to the best start of his career in terms of passing yards, throwing for an NFL-best 2,033, putting him just behind the pace to break Peyton Manning's single-season record of 5,477 set in 2013.
And he's doing it without the presence of a true third receiver.
In Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Steelers (3-2-1) have a duo as dangerous as any in the league. And running back James Conner and tight ends Vance McDonald and Jesse James are also making big contributions. The receivers other than Brown and Smith-Schuster have contributed 19 catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns, with Ryan Switzer -- acquired as a return man just before the start of the season -- catching 13 passes for 67 yards.
Second-round draft pick James Washington?
He has been MIA, particularly the past two weeks when he's failed to catch a pass. Figuring out how to better incorporate Washington into the offense is a goal for the team in its bye week.
In last Sunday's 28-21 win at Cincinnati, Washington not only got just one pass thrown his way, he played just 16 snaps. And at the end of the game, with the Steelers needing a score in the closing minute to pick up a win, it was veteran Justin Hunter on the field instead of the rookie.
Things don't seem to be trending in the right direction for a player the Steelers selected in the second round of the draft to help offset the trade of Martavis Bryant to Oakland.
After a preseason in which Washington made spectacular catch after spectacular catch, it's been slow going for the rookie thus far. He's caught just five passes for 49 yards and a touchdown and admits he's struggling to find his role right now.
"We’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, so opportunities are slim to none for a rookie. When the ball comes your way, you’ve got to try to capitalize," Washington told me. "I understand that. I’m not a guy who’s like, ‘I want the ball on every play.’ If I can do something to help this team win, that’s enough for me."
But was the best thing for the team to have him standing on the sideline watching?
Fellow rookie Mason Rudolph, who was Washington's quarterback at Oklahoma State, said it was just a matter of what the Steelers wanted to do against the Bengals.
"I think games like last week, we were in big personnel a lot," Rudolph told me. "We went Ace personnel with AB and JuJu on the field because we liked the matchups. That’s kind of what we were attacking. That game plan didn’t call for a lot of No. 13 (Washington). But I think him and Ben are still kind of working through their chemistry. It’s kind of tough for him to get targets when we have great receivers and we’re trying to spread the ball. Not to mention, James is probably still growing a little bit with his knowledge. But he’s doing good. He’s working hard and it will start to click."
Rudolph, even in his role as the team's No. 3 quarterback behind Roethlisberger and Josh Dobbs, is trying to help his longtime teammate out.
They talk constantly and Rudolph works with Washington on understanding the concepts of the offense and what Roethlisberger might want from him.
"We talk about it a lot," Rudolph told me. "We go through the game plan. We talk about it midweek. We talk about his responsibilities with the playbook and we go over it all and review it, whether it’s in the film room or after practice. I’m trying to understand it myself, but I’m also trying to prepare him. He’s my boy, so I try to make sure he understands it well and on the sideline, we’ll go through the third-down calls and make sure it all flows and he’s ready to go."
That's helpful. But building that rapport with Roethlisberger is difficult because of the presence of so many other targets.
It's something the Steelers need to work out, to be sure. Bryant caught 50 passes in that same role in what was considered a down year. McDonald has turned into the de facto third receiving option, but the Steelers selected Washington because of his big-play ability.
That hasn't come to fruition just yet, though Roethlisberger has taken some shots downfield to Washington. He's either overthrown or underthrown the rookie receiver, who hasn't come up with the combat catches he did in the preseason.
"It’s a process for him. We’ve got to push him along faster and get him involved," receivers coach Darryl Drake said. "When those opportunities come to him, he’s got to be ready to deliver. The opportunities will come. He’s been a combat-catch guy. Separation in the National Football League is a step, especially when you have man coverage and things like that. He’s able to do that in most instances. The times when he is not, it may be a technical flaw or something he may not have done. But we’re going to continue to push him and help him to grow. I still have the utmost faith and confidence in him to do that."
Washington says he hasn't lost confidence in his ability. Rudolph says he sees that faith still there, as well.
Smith-Schuster, after all, had just 15 catches after six games last season. He finished with 58 for 917 yards and seven touchdowns.
The NFL is unforgiving on those who don't pick it up quickly. And no matter how big of a star you were in college, everyone around you now was a star, as well.
"Some people learn at different paces and some people have different situations that they go through," Washington told me. "I will agree with you. It’s definitely not easy. It wasn’t surprising because I know the NFL is hard. Not everyone makes it. The ones that do, it shows you can overcome adversity. You fight through it and try to keep going."