Darnell Washington is Steelers Next Star

The Pittsburgh Steelers won a crucial matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, giving the team their sixth victory of the season. It was an eventful chapter in their divisional rivalry, but the Steelers came away with a much-needed win to put the team back in the win column.

With the Steelers' 34-12 win over the Bengals, several major storylines developed. Their star defensive back, Jalen Ramsey, was ejected for his role in an altercation with Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers left the game at the end of the first half with a left wrist injury. Despite the concerning events in the win, it's outweighed by the emergence of a new star on the offensive side of the ball.

Third-year tight end Darnell Washington put together the best performance of his NFL career against the Bengals. The 24-year-old recorded four receptions on five targets for 67 yards, a single-game career-high. He was the second-most-targeted receiver on the Steelers in Week 11, trailing only running back Kenneth Gainwell, who was the star of the offense.

Threat in Space

Washington's size is his biggest weapon, standing at 6'7" and nearly 300 pounds, but the Steelers have found a way to utilize just how effective he is with the ball in space. The team has made an effort to get Washington more involved this season, and now they have taken the next step of just getting him the ball in the flat or over the middle in space and letting him fight for yards after the catch.

That was the case again against the Bengals, and it paid dividends. The hulking tight end recorded an impressive 58 yards after the catch, and it seemed like every time he touched the ball, good things happened for the Steelers.

It was his 31-yard first-half reception that gave the team the field position to get points before halftime. The drive helped the Steelers break open the game offensively after going silent for most of the first and second quarters. Each week it appears that Washington becomes a greater threat in space.