There’s no easy way to slice it — the Pittsburgh Steelers must be in a win-now mindset. At this point in the season, moral victories don’t count, and potential doesn’t win football games. Luckily, head coach Mike Tomlin understands that better than anyone.
His Tuesday press conference was refreshing after fans and analysts endured a rare, action-less weekend. The Steelers’ bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. The team needed a breather. Several key players were nursing bumps and bruises, and a week away from the field allowed everyone to recharge both physically and mentally.
But now, the rest period is over. The real work begins.
Ahead looms a brutal two-week stretch featuring back-to-back divisional games — starting with a road matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh knows the magnitude of these games. They know the tone they set now could define the rest of their season. And if Tomlin’s words are any indication, the Steelers plan to lean on a familiar and time-tested identity: smashmouth football.
“I just think that that’s the fun and exciting part of divisional play,” Tomlin said Tuesday, his voice steady and confident. Translation? Expect the Steelers to run the football. A lot.
This is usually great news for Pittsburgh. Over the years, they’ve built their success on bruising, physical rushing attacks — the kind that wears opponents down and defines the culture of the franchise. However, the start to this season was rocky. The Steelers looked uncertain of who they wanted to be offensively. Arthur Smith’s unit struggled to establish consistency on the ground, and the line’s physicality was hit or miss.
But in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, something clicked. Pittsburgh’s offense finally looked like the Steelers again. They rushed for 131 yards and averaged 4.5 yards per carry — their best performance of the year. What changed? Darnell Washington.
The Pittsburgh Steelers know Darnell Washingotn is essential to a successful offense
The second-year tight end gave the Steelers a much-needed edge up front. His size and blocking ability were instrumental in creating lanes for Jaylen Warren. Simply put, his presence made a difference. Tomlin clearly noticed, and he’s not shy about doubling down on the formula that worked.
“We have a certain personality, particularly when we play 4-3 teams,” Tomlin explained. “That’s why we drafted Darnell Washington. You can’t play 4-3 teams with 250-pound tight ends. There are weight classes in combat sports for a reason. When you’re going against 300-pound linemen, you better have somebody out there that looks like that animal.”
It was vintage Tomlin — part football lesson, part life philosophy. He’s right, too. Washington brings an old-school toughness that fits perfectly in divisional slugfests. Tomlin went on to emphasize that keeping guys like Washington on the field is vital, saying it’s “unrealistic” to expect smaller tight ends like Pat Freiermuth or Connor Heyward to consistently block defensive linemen in 4-3 schemes.
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And I agree 100%. If it works, stick with it. Washington should be on the field as much as possible until opponents prove they can stop him from making an impact in the run game.
The reality is simple — the Steelers cannot win without running the football. They currently rank 30th in the league in rushing yards per game (80). That won’t get it done, especially against a Cleveland defense that’s allowing just 75.6 rushing yards per contest, the stingiest mark in the NFL.
Still, hearing Tomlin’s conviction about the direction of the offense gives me hope. The plan is clear: get back to Pittsburgh football — physical, relentless, unapologetically tough. I’m excited to see how Darnell Washington’s expanded role impacts the coming weeks.
If the Steelers can control the trenches and set the tone on the ground, there’s no reason they can’t start this divisional stretch 2-0. After all, that’s Steelers football — and that’s what Mike Tomlin does best.