Darnell Washington was drafted with the notoriety of being a "sixth offensive lineman" at Georgia, and in his first two NFL games, he has lived up to that nickname.
And, the rookie could prove to be a key to the Steelers' running game, provided he is used in the appropriate situations.
Dubbed "Mount" Washington for the 22-year-old's imposing, massive stature, he has held his own despite facing daunting challenges in each of his first two games. Matchups against reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and two-time All-Pro Myles Garrett provided as tough of a start to an NFL career as one could have imagined.
With the offensive line struggling mightily to create openings for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the running game, thus failing to establish an identity for Matt Canada's offense, Washington's contributions in run protection could pave the way for more success.
"From my point of view I just feel like we're coming together, but we're not 100 percent there yet," Washington told me after Friday's practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "We've still got to show the world what the offense is fully capable of, so I feel like that's coming soon."
As they head into Week 3, the Steelers find themselves with the second-fewest rushing attempts (31) and yards (96) in the NFL. Part of this is due to a 20-0 lead by the 49ers in Week 1 and the defense creating points with Alex Highsmith's pick-six on the first play of Monday night's win over the Browns. However, the team's intention to establish a strong running game was clear from the offseason moves made to bolster the offensive line and the draft selections of Washington and Broderick Jones in April.
The lack of success with running the ball is only complicating what the Steelers, as a whole, are able to do on offense.
"Every year's a little different," Mason Cole said this week. "I just don't think we've found our identity yet. We're still searching for it, and obviously we hope that it happens sooner than it did last year. ... I think you're always trying to evolve, trying to do things better. It's not like we're out there trying to be worse than we were at the end of last year. We've planned on it being better, our focus is on it being better, we know it can be better. It's at the point where we're just not executing. It's not schematics, it's not play calling, it's not that. It's just, we're not blocking the guys, we're not making the reads, we're just not executing at a high level, especially early in games."
NFL Network's Brian Baldinger breaks down the Steelers' deficiencies in run blocking, using an example from the second quarter's two-point conversion attempt against the Browns:
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPSvideos) September 22, 2023
Washington was drafted for this purpose. To help address these problems.
The rookie went viral in Week 1 for his pancake block of Bosa, and was able to contend the pass rusher on more than one occasion in the running game. He also did not allow any pressures on his two pass-blocking snaps in that game.
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPSvideos) September 22, 2023
However, as Canada's offense needs reworked for efficiency, there's also a need for adjustments in personnel usage. The Steelers must be careful with Washington's usage to avoid telegraphing their plays based on personnel. In Week 2 against the Browns, Washington stayed home to run block on 17 of his 26 snaps while also logging two pass blocks and running seven routes, according to data from Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Pat Freiermuth blocked for 11 rushing plays and ran 28 routes, the third-highest among all Steelers, out of his 41 snaps against the Browns.
Still, the Steelers' rushing attack with help from their tight ends has been rendered to one of the worst in the league, and thus has been a roadblock for Kenny Pickett and the rest of the passing game to develop."
"We just have to be as one across the line," Freiermuth told me after Friday's practice. "I think the communication aspect has been there but it's just more so executing it, and I think all of the runs coach Canada is calling are base stuff and they're what we're comfortable in and they're good schemes. We've just got to make sure that we execute at a high level, especially going against the tough competition that we're going up against."
It's not about using Washington more frequently. That's already happening. It's about deploying Washington strategically to optimize the Steelers' offensive output.
There are conflicting factors to Washington's usage. On one hand, the Steelers cannot overuse him to the point where opponents predict a run whenever he's on the field, as they nearly are right now. On the other hand, Washington needs to be on the field for the Steelers' run game to find success, especially considering the offensive line's subpar performance during the first two weeks. According to PFF, the Steelers averaged a meager minus-1.1 yards before contact on rushing plays against the Browns, the lowest mark in the NFL for Week 2.
Eighteen of the Steelers' 31 rushing attempts have utilized the zone concept, and now they will have to contend with former second-team All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby on Sunday. Freiermuth believes Washington is up for the challenge for a third week in a row.
"Yeah, man. It's tough getting three really premier edge rushers, and he's done a hell of a job," Freiermuth said. "Pancaking Nick in the first week and then holding his own against Myles and the rest of the Cleveland pass rush, he's been doing great. He should be definitely confident going into Las Vegas. Maxx is a hell of a player and he's quick and high effort, so both of us are going to have our hands full. We just have to get back to our base assignments and base technique, and we'll be all right."
Of course, Washington is still in the early stages of his NFL career. For all of the fanfare he earned from his blocking ability in college, he is still learning and adapting to how NFL pass rushers operate.
"Really just got to trust my technique," Washington said. "You go back to the college film, I may not have the best footwork or the best hand placement, but I was still moving people or throwing them or whatever it may be, but at this level it's something I really have to do, trust my technique. It's for sure different. ... If I had to put the percentage on it, I would say 75 percent, as in I know what to do, things like that, it's just that I have to put it all together more fluidly and make it looks more natural and things like that."
