Pat Freiermuth — Week 1: Five for Five, the Only Offensive Touchdown
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 14
Freiermuth caught all five throws sent his way Sunday for forty-six yards, and the third one was the touchdown: third and three at the Atlanta six with ten forty-four left in the half, short middle, six yards, to put Pittsburgh ahead 13–7. His five targets were worth plus three point seven expected points, the most of any Steeler, in a 20–13 win over the Falcons whose other touchdown was T.J. Watt's.
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Pittsburgh's offense scored one touchdown Sunday, and Pat Freiermuth caught it. Third and three at the Atlanta six, 10 44 left in the second quarter, Steelers down six to seven: Aaron Rodgers short middle, six yards in the air, six yards gained, 13 to seven after the kick. +2.5 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position. The two plays before it were both throws to Jaylen Warren, seven yards to the six and then an incompletion on second and three; on third down the ball went to the tight end. It was Freiermuth's only third-down target of the day and the only one of Pittsburgh's 12 third downs that ended in the end zone.
Five targets, five catches, 46 yards, one touchdown, +3.7 on the five — the highest expected-points figure of any Steeler who was thrown to. The catches in order: nine yards short left on second and four from the Pittsburgh 38 on the opening drive, a first down; two yards on second and seven at the Atlanta 12, the one that did not move the chains; the touchdown; 19 yards deep right on second and 10 from the 20 with 23 seconds left in the half, 16 in the air, a first down, followed by a sack that ended the half; and 10 yards short right on first and 15 from the Pittsburgh 43 in the third, after a Michael Pittman false start. Four targets before halftime, one after.
Five targets on 40 Rodgers throws puts him level with Rico Dowdle and behind DK Metcalf's 10 and the six each to Warren and Roman Wilson. What sets the five apart is the return on them: Metcalf's 10 came out at −5.4 and 40 yards, Warren's six at −5.0 with a fumble, and Freiermuth's five at +3.7. Darnell Washington, the other tight end, was thrown to twice and caught both for 18, including the third-and-three conversion with two 35 left that let the Steelers kneel out the game. Seven targets to tight ends, seven catches.
The June preview's read on Freiermuth was a role below what the talent invites — 20-fourth among tight ends across 15 games, efficiency more than volume. Sunday was that sentence with numbers on it: five targets, and the best return per throw on the team. Five for five with a touchdown is one afternoon, and the volume question the preview raised is still the question. Pittsburgh is at the Patriots on Sunday the twentieth. The number to watch is five.
_Data via nflverse._
When Pat Freiermuth's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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