It might have taken a couple of years off the lives of both fan bases this past week, but the Steelers found a way to win their game. There were points where it looked like Pittsburgh would lose this battle by a wide margin, but credit to the black and gold for not folding in that situation. They kept battling and it allowed them to finish the game with a victory rather than a sad defeat.
You could debate whether the Steelers have played playoff-caliber opponents before, but this was the first real test for both teams heading into Week 10 of the season. Pittsburgh had not faced a club with a quality record like Washington. Toward the end of the game, they found ways to tighten up on defense, and their offense was able to take advantage of their opportunities and score touchdowns.
Steelers offense report card grade: B+
When you evaluate the Steeler's offense against the Commanders, it truly was a mixed bag of results. On one hand, they nearly scored touchdowns almost every time they got close to the end zone. They should've had more points if the refs didn't blow the fumble call against Jaylen Warren. The end score could've been higher in Pittsburgh's favor if that faulty error hadn't happened.
Russell Wilson remains a key reason for the Steeler's offensive success. Yes, he might chuck up some prayer throws, but he at least gives the offense a chance to score points. The black and gold struggled against Washington's pass rush, which isn't one of the top units in the league. Not a ton of yards on offense, but the Steelers were efficient when they had to cash in their chips for touchdowns.
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Steelers defense report card grade: B-
You might have expected a worse grade for the Steeler's defense coming out of this game, but they did some good things. It was concerning how they let the Commander's offense take over the game for nearly two quarters. They allowed Jayden Daniels and company to get too comfortable during that stretch of the game. They could be frauds against tough opponents, just something to monitor.
Although T.J. Watt remained off the sack list in this game, he still made an impact. He should have caused a holding call in the end zone for a Commander's safety towards the end of the game. That did not happen, but other members of the defense had some quality games along the way, namely Patrick Queen. Not a great performance, but they shut Washington down when it mattered most.
Steelers special teams report card grade: C+
Mike Tomlin is lucky the Steelers pulled out a win in this game, or he would've gotten a lot of flak from fans. It might not have been his call to attempt the fake punt deep in their territory early in the game, but he remains responsible. At that moment, everything was going in the Steeler's favor. After their failed fake, Washington started to come alive. Most blame has to be placed on James Pierre.
Despite the failure of a fake punt, the Steelers special teams made a splash play to reverse some of their woes. The Commanders dropped a punt, which Ben Skowronek was able to secure to place Pittsburgh's offense in great position to score a touchdown. Not much else to note, but these two splash plays on special teams helped swing the momentum of the game at different moments.