The Pittsburgh Steelers sit on top of the AFC North currently with a 7-2 record. After defeating the Washington Commanders 28-27 Sunday, the Steelers have continued to prove themselves. Questions were brought up before Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye week about whether they were a legitimate team or not. The Steelers' first half schedule was arguably not the toughest, so the Commanders in Week 10 would be their first true test of the season. Pittsburgh accomplished their first test by making plays on both sides of the ball, resulting in the media putting them into top of the AFC conversations.
Last Tuesday, the Steelers brought in two new additions to the team before the NFL trade deadline. General Manager Omar Khan made deals where he obtained Mike Williams from the New York Jets and Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers. Both players made impacts during Sunday's game against the Commanders, including Williams catching a 32-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson late in the game to give the Steelers the lead.
Smith also made plays himself. He finished with three total tackles and a sack on potential MVP candidate Jayden Daniels. Smith appeared on The Extra Point on Steelers Live and seemed super excited to be with the Steelers.
Smith was asked by Missi Matthews what he's taken away from the Steelers and his teammates so far after being traded last week. He only had positive words about his new team.
“These guys, they don’t let nothing affect them. They always come to play until the last - until the clock hits zero. They never give up," Smith said.
The Steelers trailed the Commanders 24-14 when the Commanders came out of halftime and went 71 yards down the field on the Steelers' defense. Washington seemed to have woken up, making Pittsburgh play catch-up, but Smith said there was never a moment where the sideline was negative about missed plays and opportunities. He praised his teammates for being positive the whole game and bringing their best every time they went on the field.
A lot of this positivity and great football culture can be credited to Steelers' Head Coach Mike Tomlin. It's well-known a lot of players around the league want to play for Tomlin. He's currently the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL and has never had a losing season. He likes to keep stuff in the locker room and has his players focused every week. Smith is now a part of Tomlin's team and he's already confident after one week with Pittsburgh.
Steelers' Preston Smith Will Face Another Quarterback Challenge Sunday
Smith was able to contribute and help contain a mobile Daniels, but he'll face an even bigger dual-threat quarterback in Lamar Jackson when the Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens Sunday. Smith faced the Ravens back in December 2021, but Tyler Huntley started that game as Jackson was injured. So, Smith hasn't had any experience against Jackson, but he'll have a chance to contain one of the best quarterbacks in the league Sunday.
Smith will likely see more playing time as Alex Highsmith went down with an ankle injury towards the end of the Commanders game. He's expected to miss two to three weeks, but the Steelers face all three of their AFC North opponents within that span. Smith is getting a quick introduction to AFC North football, setting him up for a huge chance to prove himself.
Smith said during his interview it'll be a huge challenge for them against the Ravens, especially with Derrick Henry in the backfield, but he'll continue to watch film and improve his game.
