DK: Mounting evidence to further weaponize Washington
That sensational thing that Darnell Washington was doing all Sunday long to the Cincinnati defense Sunday ... yeah, more of that.
Please.
Pretty please?
That could and arguably should represent the entirety of this column, if only because it's so insultingly obvious, but hey, if not ...
OK, how about now?
Nah? Still not cutting it?
Well, how about run-blocking not one, not two, but three different dudes on a single stampede?
Sure hope I don't have to point out that, amid those three blocks, Washington whirled around once to present himself as a passing target for Mason Rudolph.
Hello?
All right, but I'll have to wrap this up now, since I'll soon start wondering what anyone within the Steelers' orbit might grasp about having a 6-foot-7, 300-pound body obliterating everything in sight while also outpacing and outproducing most of the rest of the receiving corps.
Final try:
• In 44 NFL games, Washington's got 44 catches. That ain't it.
• He's been on the field for 59% of all offensive snaps -- a total of 341 -- scarcely up from 52% a year ago. Ain't it.
• He's been on the field only 36% of the time in two-tight-end sets, giving way to one of Pat Freiermuth or Jonnu Smith. Not it.
• In 10 games this season, even now that he and his coaches have admirably addressed a lingering bug about landing/turning upon receiving the ball, he's got 18 catches and one touchdowns, this despite mowing down the human race to the tune of 209 yards, an 11.6 average. That also ain't it.
• Eleven of his 18 catches have resulted in a first down. Only DK Metcalf has more, at 26.
• Of his 209 receiving yards, 124 have come after the catch.
• On 61 career targets, he's dropped the ball twice.
Easiest column ever. Forward, as needed, to friends over at South Water Street.
• Keeping this fair, credit where due: Arthur Smith called a terrific game Sunday, especially considering he'd lose both Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren in the span of about 25 minutes. That's situational preparation right there.
• Same category: Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin, from the defensive side, might've had the coaching rebound of the year, especially considering how low they'd both sunk in Cincinnati. And talk about adjustments. Be sure to read this breakdown from Chris Halicke.
• Nick Herbig's got 6.5 sacks to T.J. Watt's 6.0, nine quarterback knockdowns to Watt's seven, and they're tied with 22 pressures. Moreover, Herbig's achieved his figures amid 414 defensive snaps to Watt's 582. Don't make me say it.
• What kept James Pierre on the sideline for two months when he might've been bringing all this heat the whole time? I asked Patrick Queen: "No idea, but he's a baller, man. He's a baller." Yep. And it's been a long time coming. When I asked Tomlin if he'd seen progress from Pierre over the year -- his data's been strong all along -- Tomlin came back with a simple pluralization: "He's grown throughout the years, yes. He's gotten better with each every year he's been here, with his roles and his ability to respond to opportunity. There's a veteran high level of consistency that we're seeing right now."
• Mason Rudolph can be a better fit for what this offense needs without being a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. Think about it: If this offense's chief shortcoming remains the offensive line, and the line looks far better in front of Rudolph, that solves a ton.
• But my goodness, let's not pretend that Rodgers is the same quarterback he was even just a month ago. In his past three games, he's passed for 480 yards, but get this: Only 116 of those of those yards have come through the air, which is ... insane. So is his average of 1.4 air yards per completion. It's all been sideways, sideways, sideways. Which is what happens when he's running sideways to flee the pass rush rather than holding the pocket.
• Go ahead and fight me on this, but I've got zero problem with absolutely anything about Jalen Ramsey's conduct Sunday, and not just because he was reacting to a grown man spitting on him. If my team's facing the Bengals after Ja'Marr Chase just wrecked us singlehandedly, I'm sticking my hottest firecracker in his face all day. That's Ramsey. Which is why Ramsey hit Chase relentlessly. Which is why Ramsey never shut up. Which is why Chase, in all likelihood, looked distracted and distraught enough to have been held to three stinking catches on 10 targets. Which is why the Bengals lost.
That's doing what it takes to win.
And we're complaining about this?
I'm still living in Pittsburgh, yeah?
• Now more than ever, our hungry need help. Mega-props to Cam Heyward, Broderick Jones, Charlie Batch and Alex Highsmith for forfeiting part of a rare day off to drive down to Duquesne and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's distribution center to pass out free turkeys and other groceries in advance of Thanksgiving:
THE ASYLUM
DK: Mounting evidence to further weaponize Washington
That sensational thing that Darnell Washington was doing all Sunday long to the Cincinnati defense Sunday ... yeah, more of that.
Please.
Pretty please?
That could and arguably should represent the entirety of this column, if only because it's so insultingly obvious, but hey, if not ...
OK, how about now?
Nah? Still not cutting it?
Well, how about run-blocking not one, not two, but three different dudes on a single stampede?
Sure hope I don't have to point out that, amid those three blocks, Washington whirled around once to present himself as a passing target for Mason Rudolph.
Hello?
All right, but I'll have to wrap this up now, since I'll soon start wondering what anyone within the Steelers' orbit might grasp about having a 6-foot-7, 300-pound body obliterating everything in sight while also outpacing and outproducing most of the rest of the receiving corps.
Final try:
• In 44 NFL games, Washington's got 44 catches. That ain't it.
• He's been on the field for 59% of all offensive snaps -- a total of 341 -- scarcely up from 52% a year ago. Ain't it.
• He's been on the field only 36% of the time in two-tight-end sets, giving way to one of Pat Freiermuth or Jonnu Smith. Not it.
• In 10 games this season, even now that he and his coaches have admirably addressed a lingering bug about landing/turning upon receiving the ball, he's got 18 catches and one touchdowns, this despite mowing down the human race to the tune of 209 yards, an 11.6 average. That also ain't it.
• Eleven of his 18 catches have resulted in a first down. Only DK Metcalf has more, at 26.
• Of his 209 receiving yards, 124 have come after the catch.
• On 61 career targets, he's dropped the ball twice.
Easiest column ever. Forward, as needed, to friends over at South Water Street.
• Keeping this fair, credit where due: Arthur Smith called a terrific game Sunday, especially considering he'd lose both Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren in the span of about 25 minutes. That's situational preparation right there.
• Same category: Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin, from the defensive side, might've had the coaching rebound of the year, especially considering how low they'd both sunk in Cincinnati. And talk about adjustments. Be sure to read this breakdown from Chris Halicke.
• Nick Herbig's got 6.5 sacks to T.J. Watt's 6.0, nine quarterback knockdowns to Watt's seven, and they're tied with 22 pressures. Moreover, Herbig's achieved his figures amid 414 defensive snaps to Watt's 582. Don't make me say it.
• What kept James Pierre on the sideline for two months when he might've been bringing all this heat the whole time? I asked Patrick Queen: "No idea, but he's a baller, man. He's a baller." Yep. And it's been a long time coming. When I asked Tomlin if he'd seen progress from Pierre over the year -- his data's been strong all along -- Tomlin came back with a simple pluralization: "He's grown throughout the years, yes. He's gotten better with each every year he's been here, with his roles and his ability to respond to opportunity. There's a veteran high level of consistency that we're seeing right now."
• Mason Rudolph can be a better fit for what this offense needs without being a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. Think about it: If this offense's chief shortcoming remains the offensive line, and the line looks far better in front of Rudolph, that solves a ton.
• But my goodness, let's not pretend that Rodgers is the same quarterback he was even just a month ago. In his past three games, he's passed for 480 yards, but get this: Only 116 of those of those yards have come through the air, which is ... insane. So is his average of 1.4 air yards per completion. It's all been sideways, sideways, sideways. Which is what happens when he's running sideways to flee the pass rush rather than holding the pocket.
• Go ahead and fight me on this, but I've got zero problem with absolutely anything about Jalen Ramsey's conduct Sunday, and not just because he was reacting to a grown man spitting on him. If my team's facing the Bengals after Ja'Marr Chase just wrecked us singlehandedly, I'm sticking my hottest firecracker in his face all day. That's Ramsey. Which is why Ramsey hit Chase relentlessly. Which is why Ramsey never shut up. Which is why Chase, in all likelihood, looked distracted and distraught enough to have been held to three stinking catches on 10 targets. Which is why the Bengals lost.
That's doing what it takes to win.
And we're complaining about this?
I'm still living in Pittsburgh, yeah?
• Now more than ever, our hungry need help. Mega-props to Cam Heyward, Broderick Jones, Charlie Batch and Alex Highsmith for forfeiting part of a rare day off to drive down to Duquesne and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's distribution center to pass out free turkeys and other groceries in advance of Thanksgiving:
GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK
Help our excellent Food Bank right here.
• Thanks for reading my football coverage. It's a blessing to be able to offer it. I mean that.
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