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[Hi5Steeler Profile]

New tight end provides offensive versatility
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 4, 2008





The newest member of the Steelers said he wouldn't "label" himself as strictly a tight end or fullback.

Sean McHugh is capable and comfortable at both positions, which makes the 6-foot-5, 265-pounder an ideal fit for the Steelers' offense.

McHugh, who signed with the team after it cleared a roster spot by trading center Sean Mahan, is a journeyman. His addition to the Steelers, however, cannot be overlooked.


Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has made no secret that he likes employing three-tight end sets, and prior to Wednesday the Steelers didn't have another tight end behind starter Heath Miller and second-year man Matt Spaeth.

McHugh, who spent the previous three seasons with the Detroit Lions, is trying to learn enough of the offense to be able to play Sunday in the regular-season opener against the Houston Texans.

"That's the biggest thing right now, just getting that playbook down," said McHugh, who didn't practice yesterday because of a tender ankle but hopes to practice today. "You've kind of got to de-program yourself from what you know and kind of learn it all over again."

How quickly McHugh, who was recently cut by Detroit, picks up a new offense will determine how often the Steelers are able to use the formation that often can be deceiving.

"Whenever you see a three-tight end set, you're expecting run," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said, "but because we do have the athletes at tight end, we can still throw the ball. We can still throw teams off."

Veteran wide receiver Hines Ward agreed.

"We don't necessarily run out of that. We pass," Ward said of when the Steelers have three tight ends and one wide receiver on the field. "I think half of our touchdowns from our three tight ends have come from three-tight end sets when we got down (near the goal line)."

Tight ends caught 11 of the 34 touchdown passes Steelers quarterbacks threw last season. That total may have been higher had Jerame Tuman played in more than six games.

After Tuman was lost to a back injury, the Steelers couldn't use the three-tight end formation as much or as effectively as they would have liked. They became thin enough at the position that mammoth offensive tackle Max Starks played tight end in some short-yardage situations in 2007.

If McHugh gives the Steelers another receiving threat at the position, they could cause match-up problems for opposing defenses by playing the fifth-year veteran at the same time as Miller and Spaeth.

"That's the idea behind it," Miller said. "(Defenses) have to make a decision to put in bigger personnel and hopefully we should be able throw the ball, or they can stay regular and we can run the ball."

McHugh should be able to help the running game becauee he has plenty of experience lining up as a fullback, something Arians also likes to do with his tight ends.

"I think versatility always helps players," McHugh said, "so we'll see where that develops."

Same goes for McHugh's role in the offense.


Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.
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[Hi5Steeler Profile]

ive been saying what this article stated on two forums since we picked this guy up. Im a frigging genius.

[sbbound Profile]

It never occured to me last year that once Jerame Tuman went down that we saw the 3 TE set less often. I always liked the use of the package but never explored the mis-matches that it might create. I love this type of stuff. I especially like that this guy can play FB because Im not a big believer in Carey Davis to be honest. Hopefully this guy has some success with the Steelers.