The Pittsburgh Steelers entered Week 10 as road underdogs against the Washington Commanders, but were able to come away with the upset and emerge with a 28-27 victory. Russell Wilson's third game as the Steelers' starter came with three touchdown passes and a 93.6 passer rating. Pittsburgh comically drew a flag by the Commanders on a fourth and one with just over a minute to go to put the game away, and the team won't assure the fan-base whether or not they were actually going to go for it or not.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' QB Russell Wilson takes down the Washington Commanders in Week 10 of 2024.
Tomlin and the Steelers had their fair share of questionable calls throughout Sunday's game against the Commanders. Late in the first quarter, Tomlin called a fake punt on fourth and fifteen, resulting in a turnover on downs courtesy of a James Pierre drop. With the game on the line, Wilson found new wide receiver Mike Williams for the go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
The Steelers' defense then forced another punt for Washington, giving Wilson and the offense a chance to end the game and expire the clock. After handing the ball off three times, the Steelers found themselves on fourth down just one yard short of a win. Tomlin sent out Wilson and the offense to go for it, maybe, but a Washington defender crossed the neutral zone and awarded Pittsburgh a first down.
Both Tomlin and Wilson were asked post-game if the team was actually planning on going for it on the fourth down.
"It's trust in Coach Tomlin, what decision he wants to make and how we want to go about it," Wilson said after the game. "You know, we have the mentality of making a play and depending on what we were gonna do. You know, I'm not gonna tell you guys what we were gonna do, but what we were able to accomplish there was huge."
Tomlin gave a similar response to the media regarding the fourth and one game-winner.
"We'll never know, will we," Tomlin said with a laugh. "You know I'm a degenerate."
The penalty committed by Washington was a horrible mistake, and it certainly gave Steelers fans at home a good laugh. Had Tomlin not decided to go for it, the Commanders would have gotten one more chance with less than a minute to attempt a game-winning field goal.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' Head Coach Mike Tomlin during Week 10 of 2024 against the Washington Commanders.
The Steelers now move onto 7-2 and remain first in the AFC North ahead of the Baltimore Ravens, who will be coming to town in Week 11. Once again, Wilson's favorite target was George Pickens, who had five catches for over 90 yards and a miraculous touchdown grab. The Wilson-Pickens duo is becoming a major problem for opposing teams in the NFL.
Steelers Have Clear Path To AFC North Title
After they host the Ravens next week, Pittsburgh then goes on a two-week road trip to face the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals and then another home game against Cleveland.
If the Steelers can take down Baltimore and win at least two of their three next games against the Ohio teams, they'll be perfectly set up for a clear path at the division title. It's more important that the Steelers win one or both of their duels with the Ravens, considering the Bengals and Browns are essentially out of contention for the AFC North.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson on the sideline during a game against the New York Jets in 2024.
After Sunday's win in Washington, the Steelers look like a real Super Bowl contender for the first time in years. The defense held rookie sensation Jayden Daniels to just 202 passing yards, five rushing yards and no touchdowns. Washington has been one of the most successful teams offensively, so this was a huge win for both sides of the ball in Pittsburgh. What are your thoughts on the Steelers' win? Was Tomlin going to go for it on fourth down, or punt it away? Let us know in the comments.
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