Steelers @ Commanders
Final Score: PIT 28 – WAS 27
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
In a face-off to determine who would remain at the top of their division, we knew we were in for a hard-fought game from both sides. With the help of a few penalties from Washington, the Steelers struck first with a 70-yard drive completed by another one of George Pickens’ stapled acrobatic catches. The Commanders were sluggish on their first few drives, but after the Steelers failed an attempt at a fake punt on their own 16-yard line, Austin Ekeler was able to punch one in to tie it up. Both defenses were strong in the first half, but a muffed punt from Olamide Zaccheaus set up an easy score for Pat Freiermuth. Washington responded with a field goal and defensive stop before Jayden Daniels led a 94-yard drive capped by another Ekeler score. The Commanders got the ball back after the half and scored again, this time from Jeremy McNichols, but Najee Harris handled most of the work in responding with a Steelers score to cut the lead back to three. Trading punts, the field position game gave Washington another field goal despite sluggish production, and then Russell Wilson threw an interception on a bad shot down the field into double coverage. The Steelers’ defense held strong but lost a potential go-ahead touchdown after Jaylen Warren had the ball stripped from him on the one-yard line. Their defense bailed them out again forcing another three-and-out, and this time they would not be denied. On his first target as a Steeler, Mike Williams brought in a 32-yard touchdown on a breadbasket throw from Russ. Daniels had just over two minutes to work with, but could only muster 23 yards from his team before turning the ball over on downs. Wilson’s hard count drew an offsides penalty from the rookie Jer’Zhan Newton to seal the game.
Three Up
- Noah Brown – There wasn’t much tangible production out of this one for him, but Daniels was looking his way pretty often. The walk-off Hail Mary may have put him in his quarterback’s good graces for more consistent involvement going forward.
- George Pickens – He actually made it through a whole game without any of his big catches being taken off the board!
- Mike Williams – Cheers to bringing in the first catch as a Steeler for a crucial go-ahead touchdown.
One Down
- Najee Harris – While he had the backfield essentially to himself through much of the season, Warren is chipping his way back into making this a split backfield.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Russell Wilson: 14/28 195 Yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT | 4 Attempts, 3 Yards
This wasn’t the best game from the vet, but his experience in close games is why he’s the starter. Some passes during the middle of the game were off the mark, including a few back shoulders and deep shots down the field that weren’t very close to hitting. It was a matter of time before one of those deep balls was picked off, but he was able to step up with the game on the line. The late go-ahead touchdown to Williams was a perfect ball, right in his breadbasket.
Running Back
Najee Harris: 21 Attempts, 53 Yards, 1 TD
Jaylen Warren: 14 Attempts, 66 Yards, 1 fumble | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards
Cordarrelle Patterson: 3 Attempts, 14 Yards
Both Harris and Warren had their longest runs going for 11 and 12 yards respectively, but the backfield as a whole was mostly held to short three to four-yard gains. Harris was the recipient of more work, but it seemed to be trending toward a near 50/50 split between him and Warren as the game went on. Both backs showed their ability to use their vision and make good cuts, as well as putting their heads down and taking the hard-earned yards. Similar to last season, Warren was able to make his impact in the passing game, so expect both backs to continue to split reps on the field. Late in the fourth, Harris was shaken up and left the field, but was able to return to the game for the following drive.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
George Pickens: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 91 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Attempt, 4 Yards
Calvin Austin: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards
Pat Freiermuth: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 17 Yards, 1 TD
Mike Williams: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 32 Yards, 1 TD
Darnell Washington: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Van Jefferson: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions, 0 Yards
MyCole Pruitt: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
James Pierre: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
It’s been a frustrating season for Pickens with the number of big plays and touchdowns taken off the board by penalties and reviews, but the impressive 16-yard touchdown, 34-yard reception in the third, and 24-yard sideline toe-tapper in the fourth all held true. He lost some of the deep ball targets to Calvin Austin, but each of those throws from Wilson was pretty far off the mark. Outside of those two, the remainder of the targets were spread across the board. Freiermuth was locked up for much of the game but was able to find space in the flat for a walk-in three-yard touchdown. Waiting in the shadows was Williams, who wasn’t on the field much of the game but made his mark by bringing in his first target for a huge 32-yard go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth. We’ll have to wait to see how his involvement increases as he becomes more integrated into this offense.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 17/34 202 Yards | 3 Attempts, 5 Yards
The stats tell some of the story as Daniels was pretty inefficient through the air and hardly used his mobility this game. His throws were uncharacteristically off the mark through the first half – some of the incompletions were due to the pressure he faced, but not all of them. He opened the second half with a huge play to Terry McLaurin, and Kliff Kingsbury made the right adjustment to the play calls in the second half by calling more read options to help Daniels find his groove. It worked to some extent, but this was probably the best defense the rookie has faced all season. Outside of handing it off, it seemed like he was under pressure almost every play. Dyami Brown dropped a touchdown pass that hit him right in the hands in the first half, and outside of that, the Commanders were able to find the paydirt on the ground. A few pass breakups aside, the defense forced Daniels to make throws on the run (often thrown out of bounds) or they sniffed out screens that he had to just put in the dirt.
Running Back
Brian Robinson: DNP
Austin Ekeler: 13 Attempts, 44 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Jeremy McNichols: 4 Attempts, 7 Yards, 1 TD
Chris Rodriquez: 2 Attempts, 4 Yards
Brian Robinson’s hamstring kept him out another week, which opened the door for Ekeler to continue being this offense’s featured back. It was fortunate that a few short fields paved the way for him to score twice because that saved him from what otherwise was a very unimpactful day on the ground. His longest run of the day went for just 10 yards and he wasn’t as involved in the passing game as he’s been in previous contests. McNichols came in on a few plays, including when the offense was already on the two-yard line, and Chris Rodriquez was used as a bruiser to get back-to-back carries when they were backed up on their own one-yard line.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terry McLaurin: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 113 Yards
Zach Ertz: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 31 Yards
Noah Brown: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 33 Yards
Olamide Zaccheaus: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards, 1 fumble
Luke McCaffrey: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 23 Yards
Dyami Brown: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, -13 Yards
The majority of this receiving corps was held to very little production due to a combination of Daniels struggling and some good defense. The one exception is the leader, McLaurin, who nearly had a touchdown twice on the same drive as he brought in a 54-yarder but was caught from behind and then another 16-yarder where he was tackled on the one-yard line. Through the start of the season, it seemed like Zach Ertz was second in line and the remainder of the receivers rotated games as the number three option – but Brown may have emerged as the leader of the pack. Ertz and Brown both had a few passes broken up by the defenders as well as being credited with targets due to proximity that were actually just thrown out of bounds. These pass catchers will have another tough test following the short week as they play Philadelphia’s surprisingly strong secondary this upcoming Thursday.