After a tight first half, the Pittsburgh Steelers blew past the New York Jets over the final two quarters in Week 7, winning by a score of 37-15.
Instrumental in the victory was tight end Pat Freiermuth, who not only had two huge receptions but also blocked well for running back Najee Harris throughout the game. The day after the Sunday Night Football win, Freiermuth posted a message on his Instagram story for fans.
It read: “On to the next 😤.” And also included a photo of his impressive one-handed grab against the Jets.
Freiermuth finished second in receiving yards behind star wide receiver George Pickens on Sunday night — with 2 catches for 51 yards. This one-two punch followed a common Steelers trend that’s occurred throughout the year.
On the season, Pickens leads all Pittsburgh pass-catchers with 31 receptions for 474 yards. Then — as he was against the Jets — Freiermuth is second with 24 receptions for 245 yards. Third on the list is wide receiver Calvin Austin III.
Pat Freiermuth Says Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Called Upon ‘A Players’ to Show Up vs. Jets
Freiermuth was interviewed by the NBC SNF crew after the game, and he relayed a very cool message from head coach Mike Tomlin to the Steelers players ahead of Week 7.
“[Tomlin] said it was an A player game,” Freiermuth revealed (via Steelers Depot). “A players need to show up.”
“The whole week he was preaching that and the cool thing about Coach T is that he doesn’t specify Cam [Heyward], T.J. [Watt], like he challenges the whole team,” the tight end explained. “If you believe you are an A player, go show it on the biggest stage.”
After another solid performance, Freiermuth can certainly identify as an “A player” on October 21. The tight end has been a huge part of the offensive system that the Steelers are trying to win behind under Arthur Smith.
That’s part of why Pittsburgh handed the former second-round talent a four-year, $48.4 million extension on September 6.
