The Pittsburgh Steelers secured a 28-27 victory against the Washington Commanders in Week 10. The win was sealed by a touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Mike Williams, who made his Steelers debut after being acquired in a trade with the New York Jets., Wilson found Williams for a 32-yard touchdown pass in the end zone to give the Steelers the lead and ultimately the win.
Stephanie Scarbrough / Associated Press
Steelers' Mike Williams celebrates after scoring a touchdown in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders.
During his postgame press conference, Wilson had nothing but praise and good words for his new weapon,
"First of all, Big Mike just traded for him, tremendous football player," Wilson said.
Wilson exclaimed this during the opener of his presser For Wilson, that touchdown, however, was less about putting points on the board and more about trusting his new teammate,
"It was a big-time catch by Mike. I just tried to give him a chance and let him do his thing," Wilson shared after the game. "The guy's had three-plus 1000-yard seasons, made plays, and faced adversity. You love when a guy goes through something and comes out stronger on the other end."
This moment wasn't just a win for the Steelers, but also the start of a new era for the offense as it has been looking for an answer opposite of George Pickens at wide receiver since before the season started. The Steelers' passing game has had its ups and downs in 2024, and adding a receiver with Williams' skillset seems to be exactly what it needed.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' recent acquisition of Mike Williams during his first practice with the team before the week 10 matchup.
Williams may have had just had the one catch in his Steelers debut, but it was the difference-maker in the contest. Wilson answered when asked about how he managed to involve Williams, who had just joined the team earlier that week.
"It is a credit to Mike. Just studying the film and understanding all the extra time we put in this week, just having confidence in the people around you."
Following the Williams touchdown, the Commanders got the ball back and had one last drive to try to take back the lead. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led Washington down to the 50, but on 4th and 9, Daniels threw a pass to tight end Zach Ertz who was tackled just short of the first-down line by Damontae Kazee and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The crucial stop turned the ball over on downs and sealed the win for the Steelers to improve to 7-2 on the season.
Steelers Build New Momentum Behind Wilson and Williams Connection
With Wilson’s deep-ball ability, coupled with the addition of Williams, the Steelers’ offense appears to have taken a major step forward, giving Wilson an extra deep-ball target capable of creating big plays in critical moments alongside the likes of Pickens and Calvin Austin III.
Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Steelers wide receiver Mike Williams getting ready for drills at his first practice with the Steelers
Wilson’s postgame comments reflected his understanding of the bigger picture for Pittsburgh.
“You gotta love clutch moments when you got guys who can make plays and do things for ya,” Wilson said.
Heading into the Steelers' first AFC North matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, the tandem of Williams and Wilson will look to continue its developing rapport. The Ravens have the league’s worst passing defense and will have to brace for Wilson and his new receiving corps. For Pittsburgh, the Ravens game represents a chance to solidify its position atop the division standings, and the Wilson-Williams connection could be the deciding factor.
Williams should be an asset for the Steelers as the season progresses if he can continue this run of success. The Steelers will have to be able to count on this new connection going forward with some difficult divisional games coming up, and they are going to need it to stay in sync to keep their offense clicking and keep the momentum rolling toward the postseason.
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