Steelers fans have every right to ask tough questions about the offense after it continues to struggle to score touchdowns as it has the potential to. While much of the conversation often revolves around quarterback play, another critical issue is the underutilization of two key offensive players: Mike Williams and Pat Freiermuth.

Mike Williams has the ability to be an impact player, as he demonstrated with his game-winning 32-yard touchdown against the Washington Commanders. But his abilities extend beyond the box score. Even without getting any targets, he forces defenses to take notice. One prime example? A play against Cleveland where the safety cheated outside, worried about Williams, opening a lane for Calvin Austin III to come free and haul in a 45-yard bomb. That’s the kind of presence Williams brings, even when he’s not directly involved in the play.

But while Williams can be valuable for his ability to draw coverage, the Steelers need to find a way to get him the ball. The moment that nearly made me lose my mind was the two-point conversion attempt to Cordarrelle Patterson. Why was Williams sidelined in such a critical moment? Watching veteran Patterson run a fade while Mike Williams—a talented, physically dominant receiver known for his contested-catch ability—sits on the bench is mind-boggling. This exact type of play is one of Williams biggest strengths, high pointing 50/50 balls. Williams doesn’t need to know the playbook to run that route. If the Steelers want to maximize their offensive potential, they need to integrate Williams more effectively. His size, speed, and reputation for making big plays—why not capitalize on that?

While Williams is underused, the case of Pat Freiermuth may be even more frustrating. After signing a big contract extension, I would think he would be a man focal point of the offense. Freiermuth has been one of the most productive players on the roster when targeted, yet his involvement in the offense has been inconsistent, better yet, his involvement has been consistently lacking.

Freiermuth’s stats this season tell a clear story: 35 receptions on 40 targets, 354 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 16 first-down conversions. Muth catches over 87% of the passes thrown in his direction while he averages of 10.1 yards per reception. Along with Pat catching nearly everything thrown his way, the fact that 45% of those catches result in first downs highlight his reliability. When Freiermuth is targeted, quarterbacks post a passer rating of 128.5—compare that to the 95.1 rating when targeting George Pickens. We love GP and what he does for this offense and Pat can have the same impact at the tight end position.

While Pickens is undoubtedly the WR1 and deserves his targets, Freiermuth’s involvement needs to increase, which means fewer targets for Darnell Washington and/or Van Jefferson, and I’m perfectly fine with that. Every time Freiermuth gets the ball, he delivers results. The Steelers need to leverage that consistency to sustain drives, keep defenses guessing, and get into the end zone.

Coming off a mini-bye, the Steelers have a chance to reset and address these issues. Integrating Mike Williams more into the game plan and increasing Pat Freiermuth’s targets could go a long way toward improving this offense. George Pickens doesn’t need a massive volume of targets to dominate, but getting Freiermuth more involved and Williams involved period can prove to be vital.

The pieces are there. Now, it’s up to the coaching staff to put them together in a way that maximizes the Steelers’ potential. If they can’t, the questions from Steeler Nation will only get louder.

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