Steelers vs. Bears: Winners and losers from the Week 9 win

Steelers winner: Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth has steadily been on this list all year. The rookie tight end has quickly grown into a starter for the team and has now established a healthy rapport with Ben Roethlisberger. He is being counted on as a safety valve for the offense and is a big and physical receiver that can make almost any catch. While not an athletic freak, Freiermuth excels in almost every other area as a tight end.

This was once again on display this week, as Freiermuth put up 43 receiving yards and found the end zone twice. While he never made a huge play in terms of receiving yardage, he was consistently exploiting the Bears’ defense and finding a soft spot in coverage. He was key in this offense moving forward even when they began to stall in the second half.

Moving forward, there should be little question as to which tight end should see the most snaps. Instead, the question should be how many snaps can the Steelers get Freiermuth? The rookie is playing lights out, and while Harris has been the bigger producer, one could argue that Freiermuth has been the better overall player. The rookie has been clutch so far, and his role with the team should continue to expand.