Michael Pittman — Week 3: Two Catches, Both on Third Down
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 28
Pittman caught 2 of 5 targets for 16 yards, both on third down: 8 yards on third and six to set up Ben Skowronek's first-quarter touchdown on the next snap, and 8 on third and thirteen before a field goal. Back after missing Week 2, he drew as many targets as DK Metcalf, in a 30–27 win over the Bengals.
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Seven all, a minute 39 left in the first quarter, third and six at the Cincinnati 31. Aaron Rodgers threw short middle to Michael Pittman for eight yards and the first down at the 23. +1.5 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and 6.4 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. On the next snap Rodgers hit Ben Skowronek for the 23-yard touchdown, and Pittsburgh led 14 to seven.
The line: five targets, two catches, 16 yards, one first down, −0.8 expected points on the five. The other catch was third and 13 at the Cincinnati 33 in the second quarter, Steelers up 14 to 10, eight yards to the 25, five short; Chris Boswell kicked a 44-yard field goal. The three incompletions were all short and all on early downs: first and 10 from the Pittsburgh 47 with two minutes left in the half, on the drive that ended in Rodgers's interception; first and 10 from the Pittsburgh 37 in the third; and second and 10 from the 36 with 11 14 left in the fourth, down three, before a third-down incompletion and a punt that Cincinnati muffed and Pittsburgh recovered. A false start on him in the second quarter cost five yards, and a deep throw his way late in the half was wiped out by offsetting penalties.
Five targets tied Metcalf, one behind Roman Wilson's six; Jaylen Warren, Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth had four each. Germie Bernard, who had eight targets with Pittman out last week, had one.
Back in June the preview called Pittman a proven hundred-target receiver on a new team, put him on its watchlist, and named the split with Metcalf as the thing that sets his ceiling. Week 1 was three targets, three catches, 58 yards. He was inactive in Week 2 with a foot injury, per Dave Bryan at Steelers Depot. Sunday he matched Metcalf's target count for the first time, and the catches did not follow. Two games: eight targets, five catches, 74 yards. That is not a role yet in either direction. Pittsburgh is at the Browns on Thursday the first.
_Data via nflverse._
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