The Pittsburgh Steelers won their Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts by a final score of 27-20, but that outcome started to come into question late in the game. That's because young receiver Roman Wilson made a crucial mistake on a third down. Instead of just pushing his way forward for a first down, he tried to hurdle a defender, which led to him not protecting the ball like he should have. He fumbled it away, and the Colts recovered. Luckily, Pittsburgh was able to hang on and still claim victory.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Roman Wilson makes an impressive run after the catch during a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2025 season.
During a media availability on Thursday, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith spoke about that particular play. He still showed all the confidence he had in the former third-round pick.
Arthur Smith says Roman Wilson learned a tough lesson with his four-minute offense fumble in the fourth quarter of that Colts game, and they'll try to coach that sort of decision out of him. "We've got a lot of faith in Roman. He's a tough-minded guy."
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) November 6, 2025
Sometimes, embarrassment can be the best teacher. That was Wilson's only reception of the game, and he coughed it up when his team had the chance to just ice the contest out and run the clock down. He probably does not need a lot of coaching to know that he can't do that, at least in a big situation like that. In that same presser, Smith said, "Adversity can be your best teacher."
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith using his arms to direct and coach up his offense while the team works out during a 2025 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Even if Wilson does not need that kind of coaching, him hurdling seems to be a problem that Smith has identified, and he will try to help the wideout stay on his feet with the ball in his hands.
Arthur Smith said he is trying to break the habit of WR Roman Wilson leaving his feet to avoid a tackle. Said he sees it in college all the time. That bonehead move -- Mike Tomlin's word -- resulted in a late fumble against the Colts.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) November 6, 2025
From the start of training camp, Wilson was put on notice by his coaches and his quarterback. After one less than ideal training camp session, he had been slowly making progress; he even caught his first career touchdown pass in Week 8. However, the fumble may have set him back. In Week 10, we will see if he is in Mike Tomlin's doghouse or not based on snap counts and routes run.
Steelers May Be Better Off Not Punishing Wilson
Wilson already does not see a lot of snaps due to the Steelers' desire to run multiple tight end sets on a regular basis. He has played 32% of the snaps in the 2025 season, with many of them coming on run plays with him acting as a blocker.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (10) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
While the Steelers definitely want Wilson to learn from his mistake, they don't want that thought to linger in his head, as it could hurt his confidence -- which leads to poor play. Leaving him on the bench more would likely lead to that happening. There's a fine line between teaching a lesson and destroying the mindset of a young player.
The best thing that the Steelers could do is target Wilson on their first drive. That will show that they still believe in him, and he will get to prove that he understands what he did wrong and will not make that mistake again. That could instill loads of confidence in him and allow him to continue growing as time goes on. We will see how Tomlin and Smith approach it on Sunday.
What do you think about Smith's reaction to Wilson's fumble? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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