The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 10 road game against the Washington Commanders represented the biggest test of the 2024 campaign. Despite more than a few shaky moments, the Steelers won a thrilling 28-27 victory. The win lifts Pittsburgh to 7-2 with eight challenging games in a row left in the second-half gauntlet of 2024.
Steelers Early Big Risk Backfires
One of the more frustrating issues for the 2024 Steelers has been the offense starting slow, forcing the team to play from behind or settle for field goals far too often. A three-and-out on Pittsburgh’s opening drive looked like more of the same, but the Steelers followed it up with a seven-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. A classic, acrobatic George Pickens catch in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown put the black and gold up 7-0. After Washington’s offense had a second consecutive three-and-out, Pittsburgh couldn’t do much with the ball. Instead of punting, though, a Mike Tomlin risky call flipped the game on its head.
A sack, an incomplete pass, and a three-yard Jaylen Warren run had the Steelers ready to punt from their 13-yard line, but then the snap went to Miles Killebrew for a fake. It seemed like the massive gamble would pay off briefly, but a wide-open, on-target throw from Killebrew to defensive back James Pierre was dropped to give the ball back to the Commanders. Three plays later, the score was tied 7-7 after an Austin Ekeler one-yard rushing touchdown. Pittsburgh’s next two drives resulted in 27 yards and two punts, but the failed fake punt hampered a rare burst of early momentum.
Commanders Take the Lead
The second of the Steelers’ punts following Washington’s first score was another turning point. The Commanders’ returner, Olamide Zaccheaus, could not control the ball, and special teams ace Ben Skowronek recovered the muffed punt for Pittsburgh inside Washington’s 15-yard line. A three-yard Russell Wilson touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth capitalized on the Commanders’ error and put the Steelers ahead 14-7. It only took rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels three plays to take his team to Pittsburgh’s 26-yard line on the ensuing drive, but the defense clamped down and forced a field goal, making the score 14-10.
A long kickoff return to the Steelers’ 35-yard line by Warren set up the offense well, but the possession ended in another punt. Washington took full advantage of the Steelers’ inability to extend the lead by putting together a painful 15-play, 94-yard scoring drive ending with another Ekeler touchdown. After one Wilson kneel, Pittsburgh went into the tunnel trailing 17-14 at halftime. The Steelers chose to receive the ball to begin the game, which meant the Commanders had the chance to compile bookend scores to pull away from the AFC North division leader.
Steelers Take Double Punch
Washington came out of halftime knowing a touchdown would demoralize the team on the field and the raucous Pittsburgh fans who had turned the game into a neutral site at best. Against the Steelers, one of the best defenses in the NFL, it only took five plays to go 71 yards into the endzone. A 27-yard Ekeler run followed by Terry McLaurin pulling in a 54-yard pass set Daniels up inside the Pittsburgh 20-yard line, and three plays later, the Commanders completed the scoring bookend to pull ahead 24-14.
Over the past few years, Steelers teams have never been able to put together those consistent, crucial moments against the better teams in the league. Adding Wilson during the offseason and starting him over Justin Fields in Week 7 was meant to bring the experience necessary to compete against good teams in tight situations. Going down by 10 points on the road against a 7-2 team gave Pittsburgh that opportunity to respond like contending teams do. And this time, Wilson was in black and gold to help the Steelers answer the call.
Steelers’ Defense Slams the Door
Starting from the Pittsburgh 17-yard line, the passing game turned the game around while the rushing attack added 20 yards on the ground. With Washington’s momentum after back-to-back scores on either side of halftime, another drive ending in a punt would be a backbreaker for an offense that struggles to play from behind. After a big play to Warren that had the Steelers at the Commanders’ 36-yard line, a sack that forced a second and 20 was the type of setback that usually takes the air out of Pittsburgh’s attempted drives. However, this wasn’t Kenny Pickett or Matt Canada, so the results differed this time.
A 34-yard pass to Pickens negated the sack, and it only took four more plays for a Najee Harris touchdown to bring the score to a manageable three-point Steelers deficit at 24-21. That was the response that the team needed, and the defense responded in kind. For the remaining 23 minutes of the game, the Commanders only managed three points and 56 yards. Even when a deep Wilson pass intended for Pickens was intercepted, the Steelers defense shut the door and forced another punt after four plays. However, the road to victory was hardly smooth for Pittsburgh’s much-maligned offense.
A Thrilling Finish in Washington
Wilson’s interception came after the Commanders kicked a field goal to add to the 27-21 lead. When TJ Watt and company forced a punt, the offense needed to put together a meaningful scoring drive. With 14:06 left in the game, the Steelers were on the doorstep after driving 86 yards from the Pittsburgh 13-yard line. Harris was on the sideline checking an ankle injury, so Warren took a second-down carry to the one-yard line and looked like his forward progress had been stopped. However, without a whistle blown, safety Jeremy Chin ripped the ball away from Warren for Pittsburgh’s second turnover of the day.
The NFL’s highest-paid defense shut down the Commanders again following the fumble, allowing two yards and forcing Washington’s sixth punt. Unlike past late-game situations, Pittsburgh’s offense rewarded the defensive stand with a timely scoring drive. A Calvin Austin III 17-yard punt return had the Steelers starting from Washington’s side of the field. On a third and nine, with Austin injured, Wilson looked to the receiver who had been traded for only five days earlier to make the play of the game. Mike Williams pulled in a 32-yard touchdown pass to give the Steelers a 28-27 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Defense Wins Battle of Inches
In classic Steelers fashion, the game came down to the final moments, with a tension-filled review playing a massive role in the final result. Leading by one point, Pittsburgh had to shut down Daniels and his offense yet again. On the drive’s first play, Alex Highsmith suffered a nasty-looking ankle injury, taking away one-half of the Steelers’ lethal pass-rushing duo. A 14-yard pass got Washington right at midfield, but that is where the Pittsburgh defense made the biggest stand of the entire contest. The next three plays totaled one yard, bringing up a fourth down with a daunting nine yards to go.
When a rookie quarterback needs a safety blanket, there is no better place to look than the tight end and the Commanders have an NFL veteran in Zach Ertz. The 34-year-old Ertz has been playing football for a long time. However, Daniels needed Ertz to get nine yards, and the officials called him down after eight yards and change. An extensive review confirmed the call on the field, handing the ball to the Steelers. After three plays, it was fourth down with one yard to go, so Wilson lined the offense up to try and get the defense to jump offsides, which rarely works, but this time, a veteran tricked a rookie.
A Rookie Mistake Ends the Game
First-year defensive lineman Johnny Newton went up against a Super Bowl-winning veteran quarterback in Wilson, and the moment got the better of the inexperienced defender. Wilson’s hard count, which nearly everyone watching in person and on a screen knew was to try and trip up the defense, did what it was intended to do. Newton jumped across the line, and as the yellow flag hit the field, Wilson began celebrating the moment, knowing Pittsburgh was about to become 7-2.
Big games like the Steelers had against the Commanders won’t usually come down to a rookie making a silly mistake, but a win is a win, especially during this brutal stretch for Pittsburgh. While it may not have been the smoothest path to victory or the way Tomlin would like to win, 7-2 isn’t something to take lightly.
Final Thoughts
Other than Highsmith’s ankle, which will be evaluated over the next 24 hours, the Steelers suffered some bumps and bruises, but it wasn’t as costly of a win as Pittsburgh has had in 2024. The reward for outlasting the Commanders by one point to earn a 7-2 record is the first divisional game of the season in Week 11. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are waiting, which will be the second consecutive road game for the Steelers following the team’s Week 9 bye.
Along with HBO’s Hard Knocks filming, Pittsburgh will focus on Baltimore while balancing distraction and media obligation. An experienced head coach like Tomlin should have the team prepared for the potential hurdles the new spotlight creates. Whether by 20 points or one point, a win is a win, and the Steelers have earned every bit of the 7-2 record that has the team holding tight to the lead in the AFC North.
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