Patriots Problem: Steelers Tight Ends?

Pittsburgh tight end Pat Freiermuth possesses both the size and agility to be a mismatch for any New England defender lined up on him.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots are entering Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season hoping to avoid an 0-2 start for the first time since 2001.

Throughout their week of preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday most eyes have been on the offense, especially due to the health of their quarterback, Mac Jones.

However, for the Pats to be successful, it will require a strong defensive effort. While it may be true that the Steelers are more impressive on the defensive side of the ball, they also have a number of offensive weapons in their arsenal.

One of which is second-year tight end Pat Freiermuth. The 23-year-old possesses both the size and agility to be a mismatch for anyone trying to defend him. Among those who are aware of his capabilities is Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“He’s a good player; athletic kid, big target,” Belichick told reporters on Thursday. “[Freiermuth] catches the ball well and is a competitive blocker. He's got good size, can cover some people on the end of the line of scrimmage. He's done a good job for them. Had a couple of big plays last week. Pittsburgh has a good skill package group, he's one of them.”

While the Patriots pride themselves on routinely neutralizing their opponents’ top defensive players, one area in which they have been vulnerable has been defending the intermediate area of the field; particularly slot receivers and tight ends.

As such, Freiermuth possesses the ability to be a significant factor in this game for the Steelers.

In last week’s overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Freiermuth caught five passes on 10 targets for 75 yards. In doing so, he helped to put a positive spin on the shaky performance of quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

The Penn State product is at his best when he is able to read defensive leverage and find weak spots. Using his 6-5, 258-pound frame to his advantage, Freiermuth is capable of powering his way through contact to make the most of the target.

To help control the middle of the field, the Pats’ defense will attempt to take Freiermuth out of his rhythm by limiting the amount of soft zones and flat combinations he sees on Sunday. Still, this may leave his counterpart, Zach Gentry with some room to operate in some catch-and-run situations over the middle.

While Gentry only saw the field for just 30 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, he did secure both of his targets for 40 yards. His most notable moment came on a 32-yard reception early in the second quarter, which was the Steelers' longest play of the game.

So how will the Patriots help neutralize Pittsburgh’s 12-man personnel?

Enter safety Kyle Dugger.

Dugger’s versatility has earned him a spot as a mainstay in the Patriots defensive backfield. The third-year defensive back from Division II Lenore-Rhyne has been a force at his position when the Pats have used both big nickel (five defensive backs) and dime (six defensive backs) defensive packages. Throughout last season, Dugger saw action alongside Adrian Phillips and Devin McCourty when three safeties were deployed in the secondary. He has been most effective when used against tight ends and receiving backs out of the backfield. As such, one of his primary responsibilities this Sunday would presumably be to provide coverage in the middle of the field against Freiermuth

With the Patriots having shown favoritism for zone in their recent game planning, they have been quite successful when using their three-safety base in short zone. With star wideout Dionte Johnson likely to draw the attention from New England’s corners (high-low in zone coverage; double-team in man), Freiermuth and Gentry will occupy the Pats safeties, with Dugger using his physicality to contain Freiermuth.

As such, both McCourty and Dugger should be called upon to be the primary options at the position in Week 2. Despite Phillips’ prowess as New England’s ‘star’ safety (meaning a hybrid, capable of playing outside linebacker), his rib injury is likely to curtail his production, if not keep him out of action entirely. If he is active, Phillips is the ideal defensive back to cover a tight end, or a running back out of the backfield, speed, tackling strength and ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Therefore, he may draw some coverage against Steelers’ feature back Najee Harris.

To help mitigate Phillps’ potential limitation or loss, veteran Jabrill Peppers may play the role of enforcer in the defensive backfield. Over the course of his five-year NFL career, he has aligned at box safety, free safety, wide cornerback, slot cornerback, hybrid linebacker and even taken some snaps on the defensive line. In short, if there is a job to be done on the field, Peppers has probably done it. Much like Dugger and Phillips, he specializes in defending sizable receivers and tight ends. Should the tight end tandem of Freiermuth and Gentry occupy Dugger, McCourty and possibly Phillips, Peppers may be called upon to contain 6-4, 238-pound wide receiver Chase Claypool.

Ultimately, the job of keeping Pittsburgh’s passing game in check may be a moot point, especially if Trubisky continues to struggle. If, however, he chooses to utilize the tight ends as a notable weapon, the Pats must be prepared to marginally disrupt Freiermuth’s rhythm. Whatever options are taken to defend him, the Patriots will have their hands full when trying to keep him in check. This is a fact not lost on Belichick, who is keenly aware of the problems his team may have when defending the prolific Steelers’ tight end.

“They definitely see some plays that are his kind of plays … Where he’s the only receiver, or by far the primary receiver,” Belichick said. “He's come through for them, so I'm sure they'll continue to give him those opportunities, and we have to be ready.”

The Patriots and Steelers are set for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 18 from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. 

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