Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth Opens Up on Career Success Against Bengals
Posted November 14, 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers could really use a second pass-catcher to be a bigger part of their passing attack in Week 11. Only D.K. Metcalf has eclipsed the 260-yard mark for the season. In more recent weeks, it’s become too easy for opposing defenses to stop the Steelers attack by just double covering Metcalf.
One pass-catcher who has the talent to play a bigger role is tight end Pat Freiermuth. The good news for the Steelers is Freiermuth has a knack for excelling against the Cincinnati Bengals, who is the next opponent on Pittsburgh’s schedule.
Freiermuth isn’t 100% sure why he has performed so well versus the Bengals in the past. But he gave credit to his father.
“My Dad’s from Cincinnati, so maybe that’s it,” Freiermuth told Heavy Sports in an exclusive interview. “Maybe he’s given me some, like Cincinnati magic or something. I don’t even know. But yeah, maybe that’s it.
“I think they are just one of them teams, and schematically, I think I just play well against them.”
Freiermuth said his dad was a Bengals fan until the day he was drafted. The Steelers tight end has made a career out of carving up his father’s former favorite team.
In nine games against the Bengals, Freiermuth has averaged 5.3 catches and 66.7 receiving yards per contest. He has also scored six touchdowns.
Overall, Freiermuth has 600 receiving yards in his career versus Cincinnati. He doesn’t have more than 199 career receiving yards against any other team in the league.
Mike Tomlin Explains Pat Freiermuth’s Success Against Bengals
During the 2023 season, Freiermuth did post zero receptions in a game against the Bengals. However, he has at least 75 receiving yards or a touchdown in the other eight contests versus Cincinnati in his career.
In Week 7, Freiermuth had his best outing of maybe his entire career in the Queen City. The tight end posted five receptions for 111 yards and scored twice.
Freiermuth doesn’t have more than 33 receiving yards in any other game this season.
On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin chalked up Freiermuth’s success against Cincinnati as more than just fatherly magic.
“They play a lot of zone, or they’ve played a lot of zone, particularly with their previous coordinator, and that’s why he’s had some big games against those guys,” Tomlin told reporters. “There is no secret that Muth has very good zone awareness, and he is a zone killer, and that’s why he’s had some of the games he’s had against those guys.”
Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth Leading Blood Drive
The Steelers would love for Freiermuth to be among the team leaders in receptions and receiving yards in the final seven weeks. Away from the field, the tight end is leading a blood drive to combat blood shortages around the United States.
The global health leader Abbott and the Big Ten Conference created the blood drive campaign called “The We Give Blood Drive.” In its second season, the drive is a competition among all Big Ten schools to see who will donate the most blood. The winning school will receive $1 million from Abbott to advance student and community health initiatives.
The Steelers tight end is campaigning for Big Ten fans, students and alumni to donate blood. He is especially pushing for Penn State students and alumni to make donations.
Freiermuth played at Penn State from 2018-20.
“It’s super big because there’s a blood shortage,” Freiermuth said. “Every two seconds in the United States, people need blood. So this is obviously important.
“With the blood shortage, I’m encouraging people to donate blood.”
Donations will be accepted through December 5. The Big Ten will announce the winning school at the conference’s championship game on December 6.
To sign up to donate blood for a particular school, visit BigTen.Org/Abbott.
Caleb Williams Prepares for ‘Mental Test’ Against Brian Flores’ Blitz-Heavy Defense
Caleb Williams knows the challenge that's coming on Sunday, and he also seems aware of a way he can uniquely combat the various looks Brian Flores will throw at him.
In each of Brian Flores' three years as defensive coordinator, the Minnesota Vikings have led or are leading the league in blitz rate. But he also uniquely marries that with amoeba-like coverage schemes, complete with late shifts to send quarterbacks into disarray.
In three games against Flores' defense, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been objectively fine, completing 62.8 percent of his passes with four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 93.6 passer rating. The Bears have also lost all three games, heading into the next matchup in Week 11.
Back in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus, the Vikings blitzed Williams less than has been typical over Flores' time running the defense (18 of his 44 dropbacks; 40.9 percent). That rate is actually not that far below the Vikings' season-long blitz rate of 42.2 percent, but injuries to some key personnel certainly impacted how often Flores sent extra rushers earlier in the season.
Caleb Williams talks about the challenge of facing Brian Flores
Williams spoke to the media on Wednesday, and he was asked multiple questions about the challenge of going against Flores.
"I would say he’s probably one of the more challenging coaches that I’ve had to go against so far in my career,”
Williams said. “Obviously, I haven’t played every single team yet and every single defensive coordinator, but up to this point, he’s been that (the toughest defensive coordinator Williams has faced)."
"It’s all 70-plus plays that you have or so. It’s a full mental test. Every single play, he challenges you to reach your full mental capacity", Williams continued. "This is always a fun game, going against Flo and his defense and the players he has on that side of the ball. Like I said, it’s always fun going up against a defensive coordinator and a team like this.”
"You just understand that you have to be as close to perfect as you can be. Practice and the small details all matter. Protecting the football, the routes, the depth, the spacing, my timing, everything matters."
Back in Week 1 against Minnesota, Williams went 21-for-35 for 210 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions, and an 86.6 passer rating while also taking two sacks. He also had six carries for 58 yards and a rushing touchdown in that game.
After a downward trend in his production as a runner, Williams has 116 rushing yards over the last two games, and he fully understands the differentiating threat he can be with his legs.
To combat whatever Flores might have up his sleeve on Sunday, Williams' instincts as a runner will be just as important to the success of the Bears' offense as what he does as a passer.
