Wow. Just wow.
That’s really all there is left to say about what happened Sunday at Northwest Stadium between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders.
What once looked to be a disappointing showing coming out of the bye week for the Black and Gold turned into a thrilling, late-game comeback win. It featured some new additions making monster plays, the defense in the second half putting the clamps on a high-powered Commanders offense, and the Steelers doing just enough to grind out a win in a huge matchup.
Sitting at 7-2 on the season, things are looking very good for the Steelers moving forward.
Let’s get to some grades.
QB — B-
When it mattered most, Russell Wilson made some big-time throws and connected on some pivotal passes, leading the Steelers to a huge fourth-quarter comeback on the road. His 32-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams on 3rd and 9 with just over two minutes left in the game was as big as it gets.
Those are the types of moments Wilson was brought to Pittsburgh for, and he delivered.
Prior to that throw, though, things were just a bit shaky throughout the day for Wilson. His trademark deep ball wasn’t working all that much as he was off on connections to Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson. He did have a great throw to George Pickens down the sideline in the second half on which Pickens got his feet in bounds. He also had a great throw to Pickens for a 16-yard touchdown.
Outside of that, Wilson was just off. He misfired across the middle to tight end MyCole Pruitt on one throw, overthrew a deep shot to Pickens that resulted in an interception, and just generally looked off while under duress in the pocket.
But he made the plays when they mattered most.
RB — C+
If not for a Jaylen Warren fumble at the goal line, this grade would look a bit better.
The Steelers rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown as Warren led the way with 66 yards on 14 carries. He got quite a bit of work after Najee Harris exited the game with an ankle injury in the second half before coming back late.
Warren looked rather explosive and had some key runs that gashed the Commanders’ defense. But the fumble at the goal line put the Steelers at a severe disadvantage in the second half. Though they were able to overcome it, it was another display of questionable ball security for Warren, even if the play should have been blown dead.
Prior to the ankle injury, Harris was having a solid game, making some defenders miss in the backfield while running hard downhill. He had a 1-yard touchdown run in the first half and was starting to get going in the second half before getting rolled up on. He should be fine moving forward for the matchup against the Ravens.
WR — B+
What a performance by George Pickens.
The third-year receiver started off with a bang against the Commanders, hauling in a leaping 16-yard touchdown from Wilson in which his body control and acrobatics were on full display. He built off it with some great plays down the stretch, including a huge 34-yard catch and run and a great toe-tapping catch down the Commanders’ sideline later in the game.
He finished with 91 yards and a touchdown on five receptions, making play after play.Â
In his first action with the Steelers, Mike Williams saw nine snaps. He wasn’t utilized much or had much of a role — until the Steelers’ final snap. Williams hauled in Wilson’s game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass, winning deep on 3rd and 9. Running a route he hadn’t worked on in practice all last week after being acquired via trade, he won it in a major way.
Hopefully there is more of that moving forward.
Calvin Austin III got a lot of work Sunday, seeing six targets. He hauled in just two passes for 20 yards, but he saw quite a bit of action his way, especially down the field. With Williams’ presence and Pickens playing at a high level, maybe those deep shots open up just a bit more.
Van Jefferson was largely a non-factor. He saw some looks downfield but didn’t come close to making a play.
TE — B-
The numbers don’t look all that good, but the tight end room had a solid afternoon.
Pat Freiermuth hauled in three passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. He needs to be utilized more in the passing game, but when he was given some looks, he produced.
Darnell Washington had one reception for six yards, which occurred early in the game once again, getting a look off a play-action bootleg in the right flat. He was solid as a blocker once again, too, but he didn’t get his head around quickly enough in the second half on a route, resulting in an incompletion.
OL — C-
While the Steelers rushed for 140 yards, they managed just 3.3 yards per carry and really struggled to handle the trenches against the Commanders. There just wasn’t that consistent push and displacement, and it felt like the Commanders consistently had free defenders in the box.
From a pass-blocking perspective, Wilson was under duress quite a bit. Washington had three sacks and six quarterback hits, along with five tackles for loss, too. The All-22 will tell the story early in the week, but initial returns from the game are that the offensive line struggled overall.
DL — B+
Cameron Heyward was simply dominant Sunday.
The 35-year-old defensive end recorded two sacks, had a pass breakup by battling the ball at the line of scrimmage that nearly led to a T.J. Watt interception, and was largely immoveable against the run. His power remains jaw-dropping.
Larry Ogunjobi quietly had a strong game, too, recording three tackles and a tackle for loss. His tackle for loss was pivotal in the second half and helped hold the Commanders to a field goal after a short punt.
Keeanu Benton had just one tackle and one pass breakup, but his tackle on Jayden Daniels late in the game on a scramble, holding Daniels to one yard, was massive. It will be a forgotten play, but it was huge.
LB — B+
Coming into the matchup, I felt like Patrick Queen was going to be the Steelers’ X factor against the Commanders. Boy, was he. Queen had his best game as a Steeler, recording a team-high seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a key pass breakup on third down.
He was flying all over the place making tackles in space and was arguably the best defender for the Black and Gold.
Elandon Roberts was rather solid next to him, recording five tackles while playing downhill with force against the run. He’s a tone setter, and when he’s rolling the Steelers’ defense is rolling.
Outside, Alex Highsmith was having a great game until he rolled his ankle and had to exit the game. Highsmith generated a handful of pressures on Daniels and had one sack wiped out due to a penalty in coverage. He was a force throughout the game and couldn’t be blocked one-on-one.
The Commanders sent quite a bit of attention at T.J Watt, and it paid off as Watt was quiet. He had just one pass breakup and two QB hits. He should have drawn a penalty in the end zone in the fourth quarter on the Commanders, but the officials refused to throw a flag on the clear hold.
Preston Smith, in his first game as a Steeler, was very impactful. He had three tackles, a sack and a key tackle for loss, recording an 11-yard TFL on a WR screen. He was all over the place and made plays in 23 snaps. He was exactly what the Steelers were hoping for when they traded for him.
DB — C+
On a day in which Daniels and the Commanders were held to just 180 yards passing, it’s hard to be truly upset with the secondary. But the defensive backs really struggled at times, particularly Joey Porter Jr.
Porter committed three penalties and was beat downfield twice for big plays by Commanders WR Terry McLaurin. There were some questionable penalties against Porter, but they were still called against him and it cost the Steelers.
Minkah Fitzpatrick had a key missed tackle on McLaurin’s 54-yard catch and run to open the second half. But, for the most part, he played well, finishing with four tackles and consistently helping take away the middle of the field.
DeShon Elliott had a strong game again, finishing with five tackles. He’s a great tackler and consistently makes plays in space.
Donte Jackson had some issues at times and ultimately left the game with an injury. He was too passive on a third-down completion from Daniels to McLaurin in the first half that set up one of Austin Ekeler’s touchdown runs, which was another example of some of his issues in recent weeks.
With Jackson down due to injury, James Pierre stepped up and had a key pass breakup on Noah Brown on the Commanders’ final drive. He had a mistake on special teams (more on that later), but he held his ground defensively.
Nice to see Cameron Sutton back on the field. He had a pass breakup in limited work and allowed Fitzpatrick to move around a bit, which was good to see.
Special Teams — C+
Not a great showing from special teams overall, and it was due to execution.Â
The fake punt on the check call from the Steelers at their own 15-yard line was the right read from Miles Killebrew. Pierre just has to catch the ball. They worked on it all last week in practice, apparently, and in the game he just botched it. It led to a Commanders TD three plays later, which was a tough pill to swallow.
While the Commanders had their own issues on special teams with two muffed punts, one that Ben Skowronek recovered for the Steelers, the Steelers struggled in kick coverage, allowing a 39-yard kickoff return to Ekeler to midfield, giving up 29.5 yards per kickoff return on the afternoon.
Punter Corliss Waitman made some big punts, including one that pinned the Commanders at their own 5-yard line. But he also had a 34-yard shank that set up Washington at the Pittsburgh 42 and led directly to a field goal in the second half, making it a 27-21 game.
Calvin Austin III fielded a punt inside his own 10-yard line and was decked on the play, which was a rather puzzling decision from him.
