He received the most snaps of any Steelers TE on Sunday, but finished with a single reception on the day. He has exceeded most realistic expectations, and has to be in any discussion for Rookie of the Year.įreiermuth is simply too talented to not be utilized more frequently in the passing game. He has done so through incredible effort and determination, in spite of a subpar offensive line and a struggling passing game. Harris leads all NFL rookies in total yards thus far this season. He wasn't utilized in the passing game nearly as frequently as the previous week, primarily because his record breaking performance the game prior catching the ball resulted in him being the center of attention against the Packers. He did a much better job of identifying and setting up his blocking, prior to utilizing his impressive power and explosion to maximizing each carry. He also didn't experience the frustration of having many of his most productive rushes negated by penalties. He continues to break tackles consistently, but he wasn't forced to encounter or evade first contact until near or even past the line of scrimmage on multiple occasions for the first time this season. Harris enjoyed his most productive game running the football against the Packers.

Let's take a look back at how each of the Steelers talented rookies performed against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. Make no mistake about it, the Steelers have a talented young roster that suggests continued future success is probable, but the more immediate concern is the present. Accomplished veteran performers like Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Haden, and Cameron Heyward skew the average age of the roster, which would be the second youngest in the NFL without those elder statesmen. This is an especially youthful roster for the Steelers at the moment, which bodes well for the future. Nowhere is that more true than for the offensive line. The lack of cohesion and consistency is the direct byproduct of limited experience functioning as a collective group.

The extra preseason game for the Steelers may have been beneficial for the rookies and other newcomers, but did little to hasten team chemistry with most veterans participating in only a few series, or missing precious time due to injuries. That actually looks like a positive development at the moment, because the Steelers are still searching for their identity at this early stage of the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at what would have been the quarter point of the 2021 NFL season, prior to the league adding a 17th game to the schedule.

Reason to believe song