By now, it's clear this Steelers star must be the focal point of the offense
When the Pittsburgh Steelers took the field against the Cincinnati Bengals for their second of two head-to-head matchups in 2025, little did we know that Darnell Washington was set to have one of the best games of his career. The big tight end was the engine that sparked life into an otherwise stale offensive showing.
The play of the game for Pittsburgh's offense energized the crowd at Acrisure Stadium like we've rarely seen this year. With under a minute to go until halftime, Aaron Rodgers hit Washington against single coverage on a simple crosser... and the 300-pound tight end did the rest.
Washington threw the first Bengals defender to the ground before plowing through a Cincinnati defensive back. The 2023 third-round pick topped off his exceptional catch and run by effortlessly bulldozing through a Bengals defender on the sideline.
This remarkable effort resulted in a brilliant 31-yard play to put the Steelers in field goal range for an extra three points before the half... but that was hardly the only impact Washington made in Week 11.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a budding star in Darnell Washington (and he needs to get the football often)
Washington finished the game catching four passes on five targets for 67 yards. Like always, the big tight end made his presence felt in the running game—paving the way for running back Jaylen Warren to rush for 6.2 yards per carry while plowing defenders out of the way on screen passes, which helped Kenneth Gainwell earn 81 yards and two scores through the air.
By now, it's crystal clear: Washington is a unicorn at the tight end position—truly a 'one of one' type of player. At 6'7'' and roughly 300 pounds with a 7'1'' wingspan, Washington has the frame to bully smaller defenders in the running game, box defenders out in the passing game, or simply run them over.
The Steelers are now 9-0 when Darnell Washington sees the field for more than 40 snaps in a game. He earned 46 against the Bengals in Week 11. Though some of his usage is determined by the game script, there's no reason he should ever leave the field at this point.
These flashes have been more frequent in recent weeks, to the point where Mike Tomlin and the Steelers can no longer ignore their biggest cheat code on offense. In many ways, Washington, with the ball in his hands and a head of steam, has become like the 'Derrick Henry' of tight ends. Nobody wants to get in his way to bring him down.
Browns’ Myles Garrett Makes Feelings Clear on Shedeur Sanders After Loss
Cleveland Browns superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett showed support for rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders after his rocky debut in a 23-16 loss to the
Sanders entered the game at halftime, replacing fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who exited with a concussion. It was a rough debut for Sanders, who Browns fans had been calling for
“Just telling him to keep his head up,”
Garrett said that Sanders spoke to the entire team in the locker room after the game and attempted to take the blame. The powerful pass-rusher, who had four sacks, wasn’t going to let that happen.
“We’ll continue to support him. He spoke after the game and wanted to pin it on himself and his performance,” Garrett said. “But we’re not going to allow him to do that. It’s a team game. We’re in this together.”
Browns Will Start Dillon Gabriel if Healthy
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed after Sunday’s game that Gabriel will remain the starter if he’s healthy. However, Stefanski did caution that clearing concussion protocol is a process and there’s no certainty that Gabriel will be ready to roll. If Gabriel cannot go in Week 12 against the Raiders, it will be Sanders getting the starting nod.
At a minimum, Sanders is set to get more reps in practice this week if Gabriel misses any time. Sanders said after the game that not having chemistry with his pass-catchers was tough.
“It’s different when there are different body types out there. The different ways people are getting out of their routes,” Sanders said. “Playing quarterback is extremely hard. I like to know every detail of my receivers. What they’re good at and what they’re not good at. There are so many details that help me play confidently. We are at the bottom right now. But I’m dedicated to being able to get those opportunities with those guys.”
Sanders did promise that the loss won’t drain his legendary confidence.
“Losing isn’t something I’m comfortable with. I just gotta take this one. This really happened on my watch. I don’t like the feeling,” Sanders said. “I still have the same confidence. I’m still me. That’ll never go anywhere.”
Browns DE Myles Garrett Takes Blame for Loss to Ravens
Garrett put together another monster performance in the loss to the Ravens. He sacked Lamar Jackson four times, bringing his total to 15 this season. On Sunday, he became the
But Garrett doesn’t care about the numbers he’s racking up if it doesn’t result in a win.
“I’m going to think about the things I could have done better. I’m not going to pin it on anyone other than myself. First thing I do is look in the mirror,”
Garrett has said that he’s taking it upon himself to keep the team motivated despite the playoffs already being out of reach. The Browns will get another shot to add a tally to the win column on Sunday as they travel to take on the
