Even with the success the Steelers offense has had so far, it hasn’t been extraordinary.
With the addition of tight end Eric Ebron in the offseason, it was presumed that he and Vance McDonald would be involved early and often. That hasn’t been the case so far, but it could certainly open up the offense.
Mike Tomlin said in his weekly press conference that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
“It’s early. Keep watching… At this juncture in the season, a two-game body of work is not a big enough sample to assess. We are pleased with the development of [Eric] Ebron and his role within our system and time will tell that story as we proceed.”
Mike Tomlin on Ebron not being targeted as often as expected: "It's early, keep watching."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 22, 2020
Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner had this to say in the early days of training camp about two tight end formations:
“I think that it automatically puts yourself in that position. Now again, availability is always the biggest issue when you play that really tough position. You have to play it somewhat like a racecar. But you have to be able to be a Ford truck, too. They play in a world that is very physical, and their availability will allow us to utilize two tight ends, if not more, and that will be awesome. I always feel comfortable when I have two tight ends, dependable, that can equally be good in the pass and the run.”
There are 11 targets, six receptions and 67 yards between Ebron and McDonald so far.
With the Indianapolis Colts, Ebron faced the Houston Texans twice in 2019. In those matchups, the tight end was 8-for-10 with 114 yards and a touchdown.
Considering Tomlin hinted of things to come and Fichtner seemed open to utilizing two tight end formation; hopefully, they’ll unveil it sooner than later.
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