Pittsburgh Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a significant acquisition at the NFL trade deadline by bringing in wide receiver Mike Williams from the New York Jets on November 5. Just days later, Williams had a memorable debut against the Washington Commanders.

In that game, the Commanders had an impressive start to their season with a 7-2 record. However, Williams saw limited action initially, playing only eight offensive snaps until late in the game.

The pivotal moment came during his ninth snap. The Steelers were trailing 24-14 early in the third quarter after a short run by Jeremy McNicholls and a touchdown run by Najee Harris narrowed the gap to 24-21. Following another field goal by Washington, which put them ahead 27-21, Pittsburgh was poised for a comeback. But Jaylen Warren's fumble at the goal line gave Washington possession again.

Despite this setback, Pittsburgh's defense forced a quick three-and-out. With just over two minutes left in the game and facing third-and-9 from Washington's 32-yard line, quarterback Russell Wilson called for a timeout. He approached Williams with specific instructions: "I want you to run this route." This play was initially meant for Calvin Austin III, who was injured earlier in the game.

Williams recounted Wilson's words: "He said, 'I want you to run this route.' I think Calvin went out. He was running that route all week... It was for him. He was out, so I went in there and made a play."

Wilson threw towards Williams who successfully caught his first pass as a Steeler for a crucial touchdown, giving Pittsburgh a narrow 28-27 lead.

"It was a big-time catch by Mike," Wilson remarked afterward. "I just tried to give him a chance and let him do his thing... A guy who's made plays... You love it when guys face adversity and they come through on the other end of it."

Following this dramatic turn of events, Damontae Kazee and Minkah Fitzpatrick stopped Zach Ertz short on fourth-and-9 at midfield, sealing Washington's fate as they turned over possession on downs.

The Steelers capitalized further when Wilson drew an offsides penalty from Washington on fourth-and-inches, helping secure their victory and improving their record to 7-2 against a formidable team that would later reach the NFC Championship.