Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith did something that Steelers Nation has been pining — throw the ball up to Darnell Washington in the red zone.
After a similar touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf, Smith called a pass play to the other side of the field, from Rodgers to Washington on a jump-ball for a two-point conversion.
The 6-foot-6 1/2, 264-pound tight end is a load to deal with. Just ask Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe, who didn’t have a chance in the end zone on Sunday.
.@_Dwfootball11 hauls in the 2-point conversion ‼️
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/szceXBjRdr pic.twitter.com/Bz1H2QPce4
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 14, 2025
“It’s just matchup,” Smith said. “Throw it to Shaq in the post. You see Darnell out there. He’s not small. He did it in Denver last year. I think we got a DPI against Cincinnati. Certainly, you’ve got answers in other spots, but you get those one-on-ones, you try to take advantage. Throw it to Shaq in the post and see what he does.”
So why does Washington only have one touchdown in his three-year career?
“We try it all the time,” Smith said. “We’ve got guys that can play above the rim. You look at Darnell, you look at DK, look at Jonnu, Calvin would get offended if you said he couldn’t. …
“You get those matchups … that’s another thing from the Seattle game. They weren’t giving you a lot of one-on-ones on the outside. When we did get them, we didn’t (hit them). That’s not blaming a player, this or that. We’ve got to do a better job of taking advantage of that. It starts with me.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Why Don’t Steelers Use Darnell Washington More in the Red Zone?
