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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth looked to get out of his slump when they visited the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Thursday. While they have been playing well as a unit, Freiermuth hasn’t been getting the same touches he had in the past.
That finally changed against the Bengals. He had five receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a masterful performance. He helped the Steelers stay afloat throughout the contest, teaming up with quarterback Aaron Rodgers to fuel their offense.
Although the Steelers lost, 33-31, it should be a huge morale-booster for Freiermuth heading into their next assignments.
After the game, Rodgers credited Freiermuth for his resolve despite his previous struggles.
“Pat’s a great player and hasn’t had a lot of looks. His playing time’s gone down. But his attitude hasn’t. I think there’s a lot to be said for the professionalism he’s shown, especially the last couple of weeks,” said the 41-year-old star, as quoted by Steelers reporter Brian Batko.
Freiermuth helped give the Steelers the lead, 31-30, with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter after catching a 68-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers. The Bengals, however, scored on a 36-yard field goal by Evan McPherson to win the game.
Before facing the Bengals, the 26-year-old Freiermuth only had eight receptions for 76 yards. It was a noticeable regression from last year, when he tallied 65 receptions for 653 yards.
With Pittsburgh’s deep offensive unit, which includes DK Metcalf, Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington, and Jaylen Warren, among others, Freiermuth has not been targeted as much by Rodgers. His stellar showing against Cincinnati, however, should only bode well for him moving forward.
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