The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to draw an offsides penalty heard around the world during their Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders. The Steelers were able to take the lead with just over two minutes left in the game. They had the ball back for the final 1:18, but Washington was using timeouts to force the Steelers off the field and to give themselves another shot. The Commanders held them to 4th-and-1 on their 49-yard line with 1:02 left in the game. The Steelers show run formation, and no one believes they will actually run a play. The Commanders have one job: don't jump offsides, and they jump.
The jumper in question is Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton, who said his teammates and coaches told him not to let that get him down. That jump allowed Russell Wilson to kneel it out and lead the Steelers in his third straight victory, taking them to 7-2 on the season as they head back home to play the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11.
According to Ray Fittipaldo's chat in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Newton said he was not too worried about going up against Steelers center Zach Frazier. A reader wrote in and said that Newton supposedly told the Washington Post that Frazier has a "tell" just before he snaps the ball that let him "tee off all day" on Sunday. That sounds a lot like sour grapes from a defensive lineman who is unhappy he got beaten.
"Well, the only time I noticed Newton all day was when he lost the game for the Commanders, so I'm not so sure Frazier's 'tell' was expected," wrote Fittipaldo. "Newton's 'tell' is his football IQ is zero."
Rookie center Frazier was tasked with dealing with Newton, and Pro Football Focus graded him in the top 11 for all rookies. Frazier is just coming back from a significant injury and had his lowest-graded performance of the season at 79.88. Regardless of that, he remains a top rookie, allowing just four pressures from 242 pass-blocking snaps. Through 10 games, Newton has an overall grade of 53.5.
The Steelers will face the Ravens in Week 11 at Acrisure Stadium. The Ravens' secondary defense has some weak areas, but they likely won't get tripped up like the Commanders did. Wilson will have to be craftier than that.
The Steelers Are Finally An Offensive Threat
The Steelers can't win every game by hoping to draw defenders into a penalty by using a hard count. If they want to be successful, they have to put points on the board too. It isn't enough in the modern NFL to just deploy your high-powered, and in the case of the Steelers, most-expensive defense and expect to always win games. Since Wilson’s first start in the Steel City, Pittsburgh’s offense has been holding up their end.
The Steelers’ defense held Washington to fewer points than most opponents and contained quarterback Jayden Daniels. The defense really stepped up after having some struggles against the New York Giants in the game before the bye. The front seven played a big role in holding the Commanders to only 60 yards on the ground. Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt, and Cameron Heyward all had impactful games. Keeanu Benton stepped up after a quieter-than-expected start by tackling Daniels for only a one-yard gain.
However, on top of that defense, their offense was able to move the ball much of the game. Wilson and his receivers, George Pickens and Mike Williams, seemed to be in tune with one another. The offensive line managed to buy time and ultimately they were able to get the run game going.
